Story By: Akua Oteng Amponsah
Parliament is set to pass the National Scholarship Authority Bill by the end of this week, a crucial step towards reforming the country’s scholarship system and improving oversight.
The move comes amid a growing controversy involving nearly 200 Ghanaian students at the University of Memphis in the United States, who are facing academic dismissal, visa complications, and eviction due to unpaid tuition and housing fees.
Chairman of Parliament’s Education Committee, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, revealed that the scandal has prompted swift legislative action.
“Some of the students are being asked to leave the country, and some have been evicted from their hostels. What is worrying now is that we need to investigate how these scholarships were awarded because you’ll find that the process was plagued by corruption and nepotism,” he stated.
In response to the crisis, President John Mahama has directed that the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat be placed under the Ministry of Education for better oversight.
“That is why the President has directed that the scholarship sector should now go under the Ministry of Education for effective supervision,” Nortsu-Kotoe noted.
The National Scholarship Authority Bill, presented to Parliament by the Minister for Education, proposes the establishment of a board to oversee scholarship awards and enhance transparency.
“We sat on the bill yesterday, and I can assure you that by the end of the week, we should be able to pass the National Scholarship Authority Bill,” Nortsu-Kotoe said.
The bill aims to streamline scholarship activities and prevent similar controversies in the future.
