The Registrar of the Scholarship Secretariat, Kwaku Asafo Agyei, has revealed Ghana owes more than one billion cedis in scholarship commitments to the United Kingdom.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Nana Kwadwo Jantuah on NhyiraFm’s Morning show, he explained that the Crown Agency in the UK, which previously managed short courses for Ghanaian beneficiaries, has vanished, deepening concerns over accountability in the scheme.
“Ghana currently owes over one billion cedis in scholarships in the UK. This has to be paid to allow beneficiaries to access their tuition,” he stated. “The Crown Agency in the UK, which was responsible for organizing short courses for beneficiaries, has disappeared.”
Citing an audit report, Mr. Asafo Agyei said the previous government administration prioritized funding for short courses while neglecting regular academic programs, a practice that undermined the Secretariat’s core mandate.
“I called for an audit into suspected scandals at the Secretariat. The report shows that the previous administration prioritized paying for short courses while avoiding regular academic programs,” he indicated.
He further clarified that the Secretariat is not mandated to bear the cost of dependents who accompany beneficiaries abroad. However, he alleged that his predecessor illegally sponsored dependents and paid them monthly stipends, in direct abuse of office.
“The National Scholarship Secretariat is not responsible for the cost of any dependent who accompanies a beneficiary. However, my predecessors paid billions of cedis to sponsor beneficiaries which is unnecessary cost to the state,” he said.
Mr. Asafo Agyei also disclosed that some appointees under President Akufo-Addo’s government were issued authority letters for 10-year visas to pursue short courses lasting only two weeks.
