In a bold move aimed at reforming Ghana’s scholarship system, the Executive Director for Africa Education Watch, a renowned advocacy organization, Kofi Asare has called for the establishment of a single National Scholarships Commission.
The proposed commission according to Mr Asare must operate within a legal framework to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of all public and public-corporate scholarship schemes in the country.
“What Ghana needs is a single National Scholarships Commission with a legal framework and mandate to manage all amorphous public and public-corporate scholarship schemes, and account to Parliament, the Auditor-General annually”
Kofi Asare , Executive Director EduWatch
The leader of the education-focused think-tank group highlighting the deficiencies in the existing system, strongly asserted that the existing setup, structured as a secretariat under the Office of the President without a legal mandate, is highly susceptible to political influence.
According to Mr Asare, the vulnerability in the existing arrangement undermines the integrity of scholarship allocation and distribution processes, perpetuating a culture where scholarships are often viewed as political rewards rather than merit-based opportunities for deserving students.
Furthermore, Kofi Asare, the Executive Director of Africa Education Watch bemoaned how for years, his organization and its partners have been advocating for such a crucial reform, but successive governments have ignored it.
He noted that the worrying trend has fueled the perception by several Ghanaians that scholarships in the country mostly serve as tools by incumbent administrations to reward political loyalists rather than investing in human capital development.
Ghanaians Urged to Demand Accountability
However, Mr Asare undeterred by past setbacks urged citizens to seize the upcoming 2024 general election season as an opportunity to push for concrete manifesto commitments from political parties regarding the legal and institutional overhaul of Ghana’s public scholarship system.
The Executive Director for Africa Education Watch recounted that his organization in a recent meeting with the Education Manifesto Committee of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), reiterated the urgent need for reform in the country’s scholarship schemes and is committed to making a similar argument to other political parties in the country.
He strongly admonished Ghanaians to eschew any trait of complacency as it is not an option in the face of entrenched political interests, stressing that positive change can only be achieved through collective action and persistent advocacy.
Moreover, Mr Asare urged the leaders of various political parties in the country, particularly the ruling New Patriotic Party and the opposition National Democratic Congress to express commitment towards the establishment of a National Scholarships Commission ahead of the December 7 polls.
He emphasized that an establishment of a National Scholarships Commission would serve as a bulwark against political interference and ensure fair and equitable access to scholarships for all Ghanaian citizens.
Meanwhile, the Special Aide to former President John Dramani Mahama, Joyce Bawah Mogtari Esq. has emphasized the need for the country to uphold the preservation of scholarships for needy but brilliant Ghanaian student.
Mrs Mogtari further urged political leaders and people in authority particularly affluent people in the country to refrain from seeking state scholarship which is purposefully meant for needy but brilliant Ghanaians.
She argued that such a situation if allowed to thrive in the country would go a long way to undermine the essence and the prime purpose upon which such scholarships schemes were established.
The former Deputy Minister of Transport under the erstwhile Mahama’s administration concluded her remarks by condemning public officers who uses their public offices to profit from state scholarships schemes, stressing that such conduct also goes a long way to deny most vulnerable children the opportunity to benefit from the state scholarship schemes.
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