A relative of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta (President’s cousin), has been identified as a beneficiary of scholarships meant for needy but brilliant students to study in Ghana.
GETFund listed NANA OBREMPONGMAA OFORI-ATTA among 86 politically connected persons who got scholarships and sponsorships to study abroad at the taxpayer’s expense. She was Number 76.
With Nana Obrempongmaa Ofori-Atta, she got admission into Georgetown University in the US studying for her first degree as part of the 2018 GETFund scholarship awards. That is a year after her Uncle, Nana Akufo-Addo had become President of Ghana.
Nana Obrempongmaa Ofori-Atta has already cost the taxpayer $52,600 in tuition and an additional $4,400 in living expenses.
Her scholarship is among the top 20 most expensive in the 88-beneficiary list captured in the Audit Report.
Theghanareport.com checks show she began schooling at Georgetown University in 2018, after completing the prestigious SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College, a school in Tema attended by wards of the affluent.
The fees of the prestigious SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College in Tema, do not come cheap. Tuition and boarding per semester cost GHC 41,250 and GHC 82,500 for boarding and tuition per annum.
Her Facebook posts suggest she completed SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College in 2017.
In a Facebook post, she announced her new school, Georgetown University and her involvement in school activities.
Days after her name popped up in the list of 88 beneficiaries, her Facebook account has been deactivated.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, comes from a successful royal family which was prominent in the struggle for independence from the British colonial masters.
There is voluminous literature on the rich history of the Ofori-Atta family, which is tied to the Abuakwa state.
The family has since dominated Ghana’s politics and business landscape.
Before becoming Finance Minister in January 2017, Ken Ofori-Atta was a key financier in the highly successful 2016 NPP campaign for power.
He was seen distributing NPP pamphlets in the run-up to election 2016 and presented himself as rich, humble, God-fearing, selfless and patriotic personality.
His company, Databank, was the first investment banking company in Ghana and
has other business interests in insurance, retail banking, private equity, micro-finance, pharmaceuticals and real estate.
Many have wondered how a relative to the powerful politician and businessman could qualify as needy.