Member of Parliament for Effia, Isaac Boamah Nyarko, has demanded the complete dissolution of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, arguing that the institution has outlived its relevance and no longer serves the best interests of scholarship beneficiaries.
Speaking on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV on Tuesday, May 20, the MP alleged that the Secretariat has failed to fulfil its mandate effectively and must be replaced with a decentralised structure that prioritises fairness and accountability.
“We do not need a scholarship secretariat as of today to run scholarships in this country. So once the scholarship is defined by legislation, and you are determining the number of people you want, you can either run it at the local or the regional level. You take it away from the political apparatchiks. Set up offices within these areas, devoid of interpersonal relationships,” he stated.
His comments come in the wake of growing agitation from Ghanaian students studying abroad under the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, who are demanding the payment of long-overdue stipends and allowances.
The Coalition of Ghanaian Scholars Abroad has announced a planned demonstration on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, to protest what they describe as government neglect.
According to the Coalition, students have gone 14 months without receiving their monthly stipends, while book and health allowances have been unpaid for two academic years.
In a joint statement issued on Monday, May 19, representatives across Europe, North America, and Asia accused the government of ignoring their plight despite several appeals and diplomatic efforts.
The students say the planned protest is intended to peacefully draw attention to their hardships and demand accountability from the authorities responsible.