Refund scholarship monies not utilized - Ghana Scholarship Secretariat to SHS Heads

The Ghana Scholarship Secretariat has advised all Heads of second cycle schools to comply with a circular issued calling for a refund of scholarship monies that have not been utilized.

According to the Registrar of Scholarships, Kingsley Agyemang, some schools had received funds for a period of about 6 years after beneficiaries had completed hence these monies must be refunded to the Secretariat.

Speaking to journalist on the sidelines of a scholarship forum in Ho, Mr Agyemang said “we realized that in the Senior High Schools, most students completed 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, the Scholarships were still being paid after the students had completed school. How to refund the money has become a problem.”

He added that the Economic and Organized Crime Organization had been invited to help retrieve the monies due to the failure of the Heads to comply with a “circular issued 2 months ago instructing them to refund the money within 21 days.”

“It was only Oda Senior High School in the Eastern Region that acted on the circular”, he added.

Mr Agyeman, therefore, implored the other Heads to corporate with officials of EOCO when they visit their respective schools adding if any “element of criminality is found, you [head] will face prosecution”.

He, however, waded off a perception that only citizens affiliated to a governing party were considered and shortlisted for scholarships.

Mr Agyemang said “regardless of whether your party is in power or not, so far as you are eligible [you will be awarded the scholarship]”, he said.

The Registrar of Scholarships also noted his outfit would ensure there is enough funding available to sponsor beneficiaries before scholarships are awarded to avert agitations from beneficiaries due to delay in payments.

“Gone are the days when the scholarship Secretariat was just a post office, we were sending people out there because we want to send them out, it won’t happen this time around. Now we make sure funding is available before we [Scholarship Secretariat] send you [beneficiary] out.”