Newly laid bill to ensure scholarships are awarded to deserving students — Education Minister

The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has highlighted the significance of the newly laid Ghana Scholarship Authority Bill in reforming the country’s scholarship administration.

According to the Minister, the bill seeks to eliminate nepotism and cronyism that have plagued scholarship awards in Ghana for years.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, July 8, Mr Iddrisu said scholarships will henceforth be awarded solely on merit and not on personal connections.

“The Ghana Scholarship Authority Bill is laid before Parliament. The policy underpinning this bill is to deal with nepotism and cronyism associated with the award of scholarships so that we strengthen the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat into an Authority to administer scholarships meritoriously to deserving Ghanaian students.

“Need will be a defining value of the Ghana Scholarship Authority, if established. Manpower needs of the country and national aspirations — particularly in areas like science, mathematics and education — will be the focus of the Authority. Mr Speaker, this is to ensure that scholarships go to those who truly deserve them,” the Minister said.

On his part, Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, called for the decentralisation of scholarship administration in the country.

“It’s not just about meritocracy. I recall I made a call for the Scholarship Secretariat to be decentralised, and the previous NPP government set the tone.

“So we shouldn’t just focus on meritocracy alone. We should also focus on decentralising the Scholarship Secretariat. That, for me, will be the thrust and the game changer,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Scholarship Authority Bill aims to elevate the existing Secretariat into a fully-fledged Authority with expanded powers.