In a Facebook post on Thursday, July 17, the opposition lawmaker described the bill as a progressive piece of legislation aimed at restoring fairness and transparency to educational support in Ghana.

“As a member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education, I have thoroughly reviewed the draft Ghana Scholarships Authority Bill, 2025,” Mr Agbana stated.

“At the committee level, we scrutinised every single clause. Once passed, this legislation will put an end to nepotism, corruption and political patronage in the administration of scholarships.”

The MP noted that in recent years, public confidence in Ghana’s scholarship programmes has been eroded due to widespread reports of politically motivated selections and opaque processes.

According to Mr Agbana, the new bill introduces clear structures and accountability measures to ensure that scholarships are awarded strictly on merit and need, rather than political connections.

Mr Agbana’s comments come as Parliament prepares to consider the bill for further debate and potential passage.

He urged fellow lawmakers to support the bill in the national interest.

“This is not just a legal reform,” he said, “it is a moral commitment to give every Ghanaian student a fair chance, regardless of background or party affiliation.”

Source: Ernest Arhinful

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Presenting the bill to the House, Mr Iddrisu conceded that the existing structure for awarding government scholarships lacks fairness and transparency, often favouring individuals based on connections rather than merit or genuine need.

The new legislation, he explained, seeks to elevate the Scholarships Secretariat to a full-fledged Authority with broader powers and a renewed mandate to ensure scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit and need.

“The policy underpinning this bill is to deal with nepotism and cronyism associated with the award of scholarships,” he stated. “We want to strengthen the Ghana Scholarships 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.”

He noted that the envisioned Authority would focus its efforts on supporting disciplines critical to national development, such as science, mathematics, and education.

“The manpower needs of the country and the aspirations of the country if we are emphasising science, mathematics, education will be the preoccupation of the Scholarship Authority,” Mr Iddrisu said. “Largely, Mr Speaker, [this bill is] to respond to the nation’s desire for us to reward merit, whether in need or academic, so that scholarship goes to those who deserve it meritoriously.”

However, Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, while welcoming the intent of the bill, urged the Minister to consider including provisions for decentralising the administration of scholarships.

He argued that centralisation has often restricted access, especially for students from remote or underserved regions.

“It’s not just about meritocracy,” Mr Annoh-Dompreh said. “The previous government, I recall, I made a call for the Scholarships Secretariat to be decentralised, and the previous NPP government set the tone. We shouldn’t just focus on meritocracy or that aspect. We should also focus on decentralising the Scholarships Secretariat. That, for me, will be the trust and the game changer.”

Source: Kwaku Asante

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