About 30,000 tertiary students across Ghana have reportedly received scholarships from President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Their tuition fees were accordingly paid under the District Scholarship Scheme run by the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat. The District Scholarship Scheme was introduced by President Akufo-Addo. It was launched in Takoradi, Western Regional capital in July this year.
The scheme is expected to drive the government’s developmental agenda by empowering the Metropolitans, Municipals and Districts to award scholarships to needy but brilliant students and deserving ones as well. Registrar of the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, Kingsley Agyemang, made this known to the media.
According to him, with funding amounts of GH¢ 60,000, GH¢ 80,000 and GH¢ 100,000 made available to the MMDAs, the various assemblies received scholarships applications.
Afterwards, he said the MMDAs organised selection interviews and made recommendations for awards, and following interviews, 30,000 students from the MMDAs, who qualified after appearing before the District Scholarship Review Committee, were awarded the scholarships.
According to him, the committee comprised chief executives of the assemblies as the chairpersons, a representative from the traditional authorities, a representatives from tertiary institutions or the Ghana Education Service in the assemblies.
He revealed that the beneficiaries are pursuing various courses from diplomas to PhDs level.
Nana Walks The Talk
He noted that “Today we have seen that Ghanaians voted for a President who ‘walks the talk’. Free meritorious tertiary education is a possibility and it is here to stay.” In his view, the Scheme will ensure that scholarship opportunities are distributed nationwide to the needy but brilliant students through the Metropolitan, Municipal and District assemblies.
He stated that the scheme will not only ensure accessibility but transparency as well.
According to him, “in terms of transparency, the Scholarship Secretariat has and continues to operate an open-door policy. What this decentralisation seeks to do is to now take this open-door policy right to the doorsteps of students in their districts. We are making sure all the major stakeholders become part of the process.”
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