A minority group of members of Congress asked the special prosecutor to audit the operations of the scholarship office.
They said the revelations published by the Fourth Estate made such an exercise by the Office of the Special Prosecutor, headed by Kissi Agiben, imperative.
“We urge the Special Counsel to order an immediate forensic audit of all scholarships awarded since January 2017,” reads in part the April 8 press release.
National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs, in a release signed by Akatsi North Member of Parliament Peter Nortu-Kotoe, have accused Kingsley Agyemang, the Registrar of the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, of an investigation into his work. He also called for an immediate blockade while the matter is pending.
The minority side said the call was necessary because of the accusations against the scholarship office staff by the Fourth Group and some unsuccessful candidates.
“We call on President Akufo-Addo to act quickly on this issue to protect the public purse from further abuse.”
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“The parliamentary minority took note of the investigation by the Fourth Estate into the awarding of scholarships by the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, an agency under the Office of the President.
An investigation conducted between 2019 and 2020 revealed very sordid details of the awarding of Ghanaian government scholarships for reasons such as political patronage, influence and favoritism, among others, contrary to the intended purpose of the scholarships. It became clear. It should be given to poor but talented students.
Subsequently, a series of investigations by the Fourth Estate have been corroborated by other patriotic Ghanaians at home and abroad. Many have cited instances of extortion, bribery and kickback collection allegedly involving the Registrar of the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, Mr. Kingsley Agyemang, and other officials,” Nortu Kotoye wrote. Ta.
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The press release further added, “Other first-hand appalling testimonies from our compatriots who sought help from the Ghana Scholarships Office reveal the outrageous corruption and gross corruption by Akufo-Addo/Bawumia Nuclear Power Plant government officials This clearly shows a serious abuse of power.”
For example, investigations have shown that many have been denied the opportunity to pursue academic programs that would benefit the country, while one doctor, with deep roots in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), is housed at the airport in Accra. It has been revealed that he runs a large-scale private clinic in the area. Apparently able to afford higher education, he was awarded a $50,000 award for a graduate course at Ivy League Harvard University.
The investigation also revealed that in one case, an NPP official was awarded multiple bursaries amounting to £57,210 for postgraduate courses, while Samira Bawumia, special assistant to the Vice-President’s wife, was awarded £17,355. became. For postgraduate studies in the UK. Interestingly, Samira Bawumia’s special assistant never set foot in the school or completed her programme.
Extensive reports that multiple scholarships worth thousands of dollars were sometimes awarded to the same individuals in the same year reveal the extent of the abuse of taxpayer money. Worst of all, these awards are reportedly sometimes handed out to NPP supporters who have attended two-week training programs abroad in exchange for kickbacks. ”