The Registrar of the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, Kingsley Agyemang, has debunked claims that students on government scholarship in Cuba are living under harsh conditions leading to the death of one.
Mr Agyemang started off by sending his condolences to the family of the student who died, Erasmus, but indicated that checks had revealed he had a pre-existing medical condition of which his family was in the know.
According to the Registrar, for the 76 students in Cuba under the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, their quarterly monies, which are paid in arrears, had been transferred to cover up to March 31, 2021.
Speaking to The Chronicle, on the sidelines of a presentation of travel documents for scholarship to the Asuaba West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) student who had 8 As, Thomas Amoani, he showed a letter from the Ghana Mission in Havana, acknowledging receipt of the payment.
The 76 students, he added, left Ghana last year, and so could not have been owed 14-months as had been claimed by the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The Registrar explained that there were two categories of students on scholarship in Cuba – one under the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, and the other under the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) Foundation.
Though he stated that he could not speak for the GNPC, he empassised that his outfit had paid in full for the first quarter of this year.
“The GNPC scholars left about two years ago, and ours left about a year ago. So, it’s less than 14 months as claimed by Hon Ablakwa. It is interesting to know that Hon Ablakwa’s submission is very much unsubstantiated, and he is in a very privileged position to have verified. Our students have not been in Cuba for 14 months.”
He continued that: “It is also not true by this letter from the Ghana Mission in Havana clearly stating that for the government of Ghana sponsored students; the 76 of them; the one that the Vice President brokered the deal with the People’s Republic of Cuba all of them have been paid up to March 31.”
He explained that: “It is the practice that we pay quarterly in arrears. As I speak with you now, we have disbursed funds to take care of second quarter and third quarter. We don’t owe students’ stipends. It is quite intriguing that Hon Ablakwa will make such a wild statement when he could have just verified from either the Ghana Mission in Havana, the Foreign Affairs, or from our good office, or even from the GNPC office. I can’t speak for GNPC. I am unable to say for a fact if GNPC has some payment arrears. But with Ghana Scholarship Secretariat sponsored student, we’ve paid them up to 31st March.”
Meanwhile, the Secretariat, yesterday, presented to Thomas Amoani the Asuaba WASSCE student who had 8 As his travel documents to the United Kingdom to pursue a 4-year degree programme.
“Some months ago, when the news broke up many were the cynics who didn’t believe in the Akufo-Addo government and thought it was one of those political gimmicks, but, lo and behold, we have gathered here today to officially hand over his traveling documents all the way to London, Brunel University, where he is going to read B.A. Business Economics and Finance,” the Registrar said.
He said Thomas’ situation sets the pace for others to follow, adding that if there was any opportunity where the poor man’s son would meet at the table with the rich man’s, it would be through education.
He indicated that there was a seamless integration program to get the beneficiary into the British system, advising him that the country and his community expected him to do well.
The presentation was in fulfilment of a promise government, through the Scholarships Secretariat made when the result of the boy came out.
Key personalities, including the MP of the area, Mr Adom, the DCE Eugene, his headmaster and some chiefs accompanied Thomas to the Secretariat in Accra to receive his documents.
The post We don’t owe scholarship students in Cuba -Scholarships Secretariat appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS