Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ireland, H.E. Sabah Zita Benson, has defended the planned verification and oath-taking exercise for Ghanaian PhD students sponsored by the Ghana Scholarships Authority (GSA), insisting that the beneficiaries must fulfil obligations contained in their scholarship bonds.
Her response follows concerns from some students over the planned oath of affirmation, including demands for a timeline for the payment of outstanding tuition fees and stipends, assurances that they would not be required to return to Ghana until those obligations were fulfilled, and appropriate reintegration into the Ghanaian job market.
H.E. Benson said the students had already signed bonds committing them to comply with requirements set by the GSA, including surveys and evaluations, and to return to Ghana within two months of completing their studies. She also pointed to a provision in the bond warning that beneficiaries who fail to fulfil their obligations could be held liable for scholarship funds received and required to reimburse all or part of the amount.
According to her, the bond contains no commitment by the government to guarantee the beneficiaries’ reintegration into the labour market. She questioned why students who claim the GSA owes them up to 40 months of stipends did not raise the demands while the former Registrar, Kingsley Agyemang, was in charge of the Authority.
H.E. Benson further rejected suggestions that the new oath amounted to a retroactive imposition of conditions, arguing that the GSA’s authority to require compliance is already contained in the scholarship bond. She said the Ghana High Commission, acting on behalf of the GSA, would proceed with the planned verification and oath-taking, stressing that the exercise was necessary to safeguard taxpayers’ investment in overseas scholarships.
She maintained that beneficiaries would not be allowed to use the scholarship award as a basis to impose new conditions on the government after public funds had already been committed to their education.
By: Joyce Owusu
