Opinion: The Scholarship Scandals – Another Angle

Another problem I have with the whole scholarship scandal is the kind of programs beneficiaries were sponsored to undertake. I mean, scholarships should be given strategically with the development of this nation in mind and also with huge consideration given to their relevance.

Why should the government give a scholarship worth over 800,000 Ghana Cedis to one person to study Public Administration abroad when we have institutions here offering the same program?

If I am making decisions for scholarships, no one is getting sponsored abroad for a program that is available here. We will sponsor you for the program here; if you are keen on doing it abroad, pay your bills. That 800,000 can train 20 people at GIMPA for the same program. Nyansa.

When we sponsor you for a program that is not available here, you are doing so on a contract to come back home and offer your expertise.

If such scholarships are given regardless of social standing, it would make sense. If there is a special brain with the interest to do a program that we are yet to major in here and that person is willing to serve the nation for 5 years after, I don’t mind if he is the son of Despite.

Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Data Analysis, and other related modern programs should be the target. We shouldn’t be spending millions on scholarships abroad for people to go and study these social sciences and humanities the extent that we are doing.

These courses add very little extra knowledge because the expertise is abundant here.

Currently, we just have money sitting there and being used to give scholarships based on who wants it and has the contact and influence to activate it; there is no strategic link to national development at all.

What we give are luxury scholarships, they are never meant for the needy.

Thank you Manasseh Azure Awuni for another relevant piece of work, Ghana is much better with you.

By Kofi Kyei