Scholarship saga: Auditor-General playing ‘political mischief’ – Quaitoo

The Chairman of the Education Committee of Parliament and MP for Akim Oda William Agyapong Quaitoo has accused the Auditor-General of playing political mischief with his auditing of the GETfund secretariat.

According to him, the public officials whose scholarships have angered the nation deserved financial assistance they got from the secretariat.

“They qualified to apply and however gave it to them thought they deserved it and I don’t think they paid any bribe. The Auditor-General is wrong in this case, I don’t think he should have this out because there is nothing wrong with it.

“I think the Auditor General is playing political mischief with this,” he told Starr Today on Monday.

It has emerged that some MPs and government officials were 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.

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.

The Education Minister and the Executive Secretary of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment have explained they secured the scholarship before coming into public office.