Scholarship Authority rejects claims of irregularities in scholarship awards

The Director-General of the Ghana Scholarship Authority, Alex Kwaku Asafo Agyei, has responded to allegations circulating online that questioned the integrity of a government scholarship, insisting that the claims misrepresent the facts surrounding the process.

The response follows a widely circulated commentary that questioned the award of scholarships to two siblings reportedly studying in Canada and suggested that the decision reflected broader concerns about transparency in the administration of government-funded scholarships.

The commentary alleged that the twins – identified as Emmanuella Kyei-Frimpong Agyapong and Emmanuel Kyei-Frimpong Agyapong – were awarded scholarships to pursue undergraduate studies at Canadian universities, despite claims that they were born and raised in Canada.

The post further questioned whether the awards were consistent with the government’s stated policy of prioritizing needy students and funding programmes not readily available in Ghana.

While the claims generated public debate on social media, Asafo Agyei has rejected suggestions that the scholarship in question was secured through manipulation, describing several of the narratives as misleading and unsupported by the facts.

In a detailed response posted on his Facebook page, the Director-General said his attention had been drawn to “misleading information about the operations of the Ghana Scholarship Authority,” and stressed the need to clarify the facts in the interest of the Ghanaian public.

“For the avoidance of doubt – and without seeking to dignify such propaganda with unnecessary attention – I deem it necessary to place the facts on record,” he wrote.

Addressing claims that the beneficiaries were Canadian citizens benefiting from Ghanaian scholarships, Asafo Agyei said the assertion was inaccurate. According to him, the individuals referenced are Ghanaians by birth and parentage and therefore meet the fundamental eligibility requirement for scholarships administered by the Authority.

The Director-General also clarified that the public narrative suggesting that government scholarships are reserved exclusively for “needy but brilliant” students does not reflect the Authority’s actual framework for scholarship awards.

He explained that the authority operates a three-tier system that considers financial need, national priority programmes critical to Ghana’s development, and merit-based selection for qualified Ghanaian students who meet established academic criteria.

“It is therefore intellectually dishonest to create the impression that any beneficiary who does not fall within the ‘needy but brilliant’ category is undeserving,” he noted.

Asafo Agyei further pointed to the Authority’s publicly stated allocations for local scholarships to illustrate the transparency of the system. According to him, for the 2026 scholarship cycle, 5,000 scholarships have been earmarked, with 2,000 specifically reserved for the “needy but brilliant” category and administered by an independent selection committee to ensure fairness.

He emphasized that the remaining scholarships are awarded under the merit and national priority categories in accordance with established guidelines, stressing that any claim suggesting otherwise amounts to “sheer ignorance or deliberate distortion.”

Responding to suggestions that the scholarships should not have been awarded because similar programmes exist in Ghana, the Director-General said the argument was based on a misinterpretation of the law. He explained that references being made to provisions in the Ghana Scholarship Authority Bill are misplaced because the legislative framework only came into force after the scholarships in question had already been awarded.

“The argument being advanced relies on provisions from a legislative framework which, at the time the scholarships were awarded, had not yet come into force,” he stated, describing attempts to apply the law retrospectively as legally untenable.

Asafo Agyei also dismissed attempts to link the matter to allegations that scholarships are traded for money, insisting that the Authority operates a structured and documented application and evaluation process.

“Allegations of corruption must be backed by credible evidence and presented to the appropriate investigative authorities rather than propagated through speculation and partisan commentary,” he said.

Reaffirming his commitment to the integrity of the institution, the Director-General stated that the reputation of the Authority would not be compromised under his leadership.

“Let me state unequivocally that, so long as I remain the Director-General of the Ghana Scholarship Authority, neither my integrity nor the well-redeemed reputation of the Authority will be compromised,” he said.

Asafo Agyei also assured the public that diligence, fairness and professionalism would continue to guide the operations of the Authority in line with the governance vision of President John Dramani Mahama.

He added that the Authority remains committed to fairness and transparency in the award of scholarships and will not be distracted by what he described as politically motivated attempts to misrepresent its work.

“Our focus remains firmly on ensuring that deserving Ghanaian students continue to receive the support necessary to pursue higher education in areas that contribute meaningfully to national development,” he said.

As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen transparency, Asafo Agyei also announced that the Authority would in the coming days publish the remaining lists of scholarship beneficiaries from 2016 to 2024 to make the information more accessible to the public.