The Minority Caucus in Parliament has called for the urgent interdiction of Kingsley Oppong Agyemang, the Registrar of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, following what it described as damning allegations of corruption and abuse of office contained in an investigative piece by the Fourth Estate.
The opposition National Democratic Congress group in Parliament in a statement issued by its Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education and Member of Parliament for Akatsi North, Hon. Peter Nortsu-Kotoe expressed deep concerns over the basis upon which scholarship award is given to Ghanaians.
He lamented over the damning revelation by the investigative piece in which government scholarship awards were given to individuals based on political patronage, influence, and favouritism, rather than the main objective that the scholarships are supposed to be given to deserving, needy but brilliant students.
“The Minority in Parliament has taken notice of an investigation by the Fourth Estate into the award of scholarships by the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, an agency under the Office of the President. The series of investigations by the Fourth Estate has since been corroborated by other patriotic Ghanaians, both at home and abroad.
“Many have cited instances of extortion, bribery and collection of kickbacks allegedly involving the Registrar of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, Kingsley Agyemang, and other officials”.
Honorable Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, MP Akatsi North
The Member of Parliament for Akatsi North began by questioning the integrity of the selection process for the award of the scholarship, citing instances where individuals with the means to afford higher education according to the investigative piece were granted scholarship worth substantial sums of dollars for post-graduate studies at prestigious institutions like Harvard University.
Furthermore, Honorable Peter Nortsu-Kotoe bemoaned reports in which multiple scholarships were being awarded to the same individuals in the same year, often for short-term training programs abroad.
He strongly asserted that the wanton abuse of taxpayer resources by the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat is a blatant betrayal of public trust and a gross misuse of state resources.
Moreover, the Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education bemoaned the egregious cases highlighted in the investigation such as the awarding of scholarships totalling £57,210 to an official of the NPP for a post-graduate course.
He also complained about the award of £17,355 to a Special Assistant to the spouse of the Vice President, Samira Bawumia for studies in the United Kingdom despite allegedly not attending the program.
Call for Actions
The Honorable Peter Nostsu-Kotoe argued that the above revelations per the findings of the investigative piece by the Fourth Estate underscore the urgent need for a thorough and independent inquiry into the operations of the Scholarship Secretariat.
He thus stressed the urgent need for the Registrar of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, Kingsley Agyemang, to be interdicted by President Akufo-Addo pending a comprehensive investigation into the affairs of the Scholarship Secretariat.
Secondly, the National Democratic Congress Minority Caucus in Parliament also called on the Special Prosecutor to initiate a forensic audit of all scholarships awarded since January 2017, to unearth the full extent of corruption and hold those responsible to account.
Finally, the Minority Caucus in Parliament called upon President Akufo-Addo to take swift and decisive action to safeguard the public purse and restore confidence in the scholarship system.
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