New Ghana Scholarship Authority Bill to be Laid Before Parliament to Curb Cronyism and Promote Meritocracy

By
Ellis Ferdinand
-
New Ghana Scholarship Authority Bill to be Laid Before Parliament to Curb Cronyism and Promote Meritocracy

Ferdinand | EducationGhana |  April 19|  New Ghana Scholarship Authority Bill to be Laid Before Parliament to Curb Cronyism and Promote Meritocracy

 

The Government of Ghana is set to introduce a new bill titled the Ghana Scholarship Authority Bill to Parliament after the Easter break. This announcement was made during the opening ceremony of the 4th National Delegates Congress of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) Sandwich Students Association, held at the Nyaniba Hotel in Cape Coast.

The proposed bill, which seeks to replace the existing Scholarship Secretariat, forms part of government’s broader efforts to restructure the administration of scholarships in Ghana and address growing concerns over cronyism and nepotism in the selection process.

Speaking at a separate event in Accra, the Minister of Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to promoting fairness and merit in scholarship awards. “Apart from dealing with cronyism and nepotism and giving scholarships to those who are undeserving, the emphasis will be on merit and also help our institutions to build faculties that can compete with the rest of the world,” he said.

The Minister revealed that the new scholarship system would focus on building strong academic faculties in public universities by supporting the training of local PhDs. “We will be initiating, with your support again, what I call the local scholarship initiative,” he announced during the inauguration of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) Board of Trustees.

He further urged the GETFund Board to make provisions in their funding formula to support at least five PhDs per public university annually. “You can make this an institutional part of the fund so that in the next four years, we will boast that these were PhDs trained by the Ghana Education Trust Fund,” he stated.

President John Dramani Mahama, according to the Minister, has requested that the bill be prioritized when Parliament reconvenes. The aim is to correct the long-standing issues of favoritism and ensure scholarships go to those who truly deserve them.

TOP STORIES
 

This was emphasized by the Deputy Director General of GTEC, Paa Kwadwo Sam during the opening ceremony of the 4th Annual Delegates Congress of the Sandwich Students Association of the University of Cape Coast at the Nyaniba Hotel in Cape Coast on April 19, 2025.

In a related update, GH¢266.2 million has been earmarked by GETFund for continuing and new scholarship beneficiaries—an increase of over GH¢90 million from the previous year.

Additionally, the minister proposed that GETFund consider setting aside an emergency fund to address unforeseen events such as natural calamities. Citing a recent incident in his own constituency, he noted, “A month ago, the roof of a school at Zobo, a village in my constituency, was ripped off. An emergency fund would have allowed for immediate intervention.”

Meanwhile, the 2025 National Education Forum, chaired by Professor G.K.T. Oduro, Technical Advisor to the Minister of Education, has already concluded. The final recommendations, which are awaiting government acceptance and implementation, were presented during a climax event held at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on March 13, 2025.

The introduction of the Ghana Scholarship Authority Bill, coupled with the outcomes of the education forum, signals a renewed focus by the government on merit-based education reforms, institutional transparency, and long-term national development.

 

OTHER IMPORTANT STORIES

 

 

Discover more from EducationGhana

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

What's your take on this Latest Development?