NPP Gov't Paid For Scholarship Holders’ Spouses And Children To Study In UK – High Commissioner

Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ireland, Sabah Zita Benson, has revealed that the previous NPP administration funded not only scholarship beneficiaries but also their spouses and children to travel to and stay in the UK.

Speaking in a media interview on Wednesday, Benson said she had reviewed documents covering several cases in which awardees pursuing programmes such as Master of Business Administration and Public Policy; courses she noted are available in Ghana — were accompanied by family members at state expense.

According to the High Commissioner, the government covered premium visa fees, air tickets, yellow fever vaccinations and other costs for the accompanying relatives. Each family member also received an allowance of £8,160.

In one case she cited, a beneficiary travelled with her husband and three children, with travel and related costs for the family alone reaching around £90,000.

Benson described the spending as reckless and linked it to the large outstanding debt estimated at between £35 million and £37 million, for tuition fees and stipends owed to Ghanaian students already studying in the UK under the same scheme. She said funds spent on dependants could have been used to clear those arrears.

The High Commissioner, who is responsible for disbursing scholarship funds once they reach the mission, emphasised that she does not award the scholarships herself but is working to address the inherited liabilities.