MP’s push for law to decentralise National Scholarships Secretariat


The MP for Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh is pushing for a law to be passed to regulate the national Scholarships Secretariat to make its administration more transparent. 

He is also seeking the decentralization of the national Scholarships Secretariat. He says the centreing of the secretariat in Accra defeats the purpose for which it was set up.  

The Scholarships Secretariat was set up in 1960 as an extra ministerial body under the office of the President. 

The rationale for the scheme was to administer and exercise central control over scholarship awards. 

Mr. Annoh –Dompreh said due to the centralization of its operations in the capital, it is limiting access to the scholarship scheme. 

He put this concern forward in a statement in Parliament. 

Radio Ghana's Correspondets, Dominic Hlordzi and Augustus Acquaye report that the Scholarships Secretariat is now focused on utilizing government funds, GETFund and donor support for the provision of scholarship to brilliant but needy students and qualified workers at a minimum access cost for human resource development for the purpose of national growth and development. 

Frank Annoh-Dompreh, MP for Nsawam Adoagyiri said many of the needy but brilliant students are located in remote areas and might not be even aware of the existence of such a national intervention. 

He has therefore called on government to the open regional secretariat to bring the Secretariat to the doorstep of the people. He said a decentralized system will also allow for the speedy processing of scholarship forms, making the scheme more efficient.
 
Contributing to the statement, the MP for Juaboso, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh seconded the idea of decentralizing the scheme. He said locating the centre in Accra is a shot in the foot.

The MP for Offinso South, Ben Abdallah Banda also said it is high time a law binds the work of the secretariat. He said the right legal regime will insulate the secretariat from the ills of other state bodies.

The Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho based on the submissions made, directed that a copy of the statement and the subsequent contributions be sent to the scholarships secretariat.  


GBC