GetFund scholarship: Clear my name or I'll sue you - MP tells Auditor-General

The Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Kennedy Osei Nyarko has threatened to take legal action against the Auditor-General if he does not clear his name from the list of beneficiaries of the GetFund scholarship.

The deputy minister who is also the MP for said: "If I can personally sponsor for the education of peoples wards both local and Abroad to further their education from my own personal resources how much more will it be difficult to sponsor my own education.”

According to him, "this is a big gaffe coming from the Auditor General”.

The audit report stated that MP received a scholarship to attend the SOAS University of London, UK despite the fact that the cost was not stated.

Speaking in an interview with Kwabena Agyapong on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5fm, he said he has never benefitted from GetFund scholarship either as MP or a deputy minister.

It has emerged that some ministers of state have been given scholarships from the GETfund scholarship secretariat to embark on courses abroad.

The mandate of the GETFund is to grant scholarships to brilliant but needy Ghanaians.

But reacting to the report, the MP explained that GetFund does not only award scholarships to needy but brilliant students.

He said the state body is also mandated to award scholarships to persons who are working in the interest of the state.

The list including some members of parliament and deputy ministers are contained in the audited report of the auditor-general on the Getfund scholarship secretariat.

The Dome MP and procurement minister, Adwoa Safo applied and obtained $12,800 in allowances with $17,004 in tuition fees to study at the Harvard Kennedy school.

The Executive Secretary of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), Prince Hamidu Armah also received £38,400 for living expense in addition to £33,000 for tuition fees, While Education minister Mathew Opoku Prempeh, who listed at number 38, is receiving $12,800 for living expenses and $11,200 as tuition fees at security course at Harvard University.

Meanwhile, GetFund has through a statement the Minister for Education Mathew Opoku Prempeh, the Procurement Minister, Sarah Adwoa Safo and the Executive Secretary of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), Prince Hamidu Armah were not awarded scholarships under the current administration.

“the aforementioned persons have not been awarded scholarships by the Fund under the current administration,” adding that its mandate was not limited to serving needy but brilliant students, in line with the GETFund Act 2000.

“The fund may, per its mandate, also provide support for other educational activities and programmes to serve strategic national interests.”