Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Sabah Zita Benson, has alleged that widespread mismanagement of government scholarship funds under the previous administration contributed to millions of pounds in unpaid tuition fees and stipends owed to Ghanaian students in the UK.
In a series of Facebook posts, Ms Benson claimed that significant amounts were spent on allowances, airfares and other benefits for the spouses and children of scholarship beneficiaries. She cited cases where dependants each received £8,160 in addition to the student’s scholarship, while one family’s airfare reportedly cost GH¢90,000.
She further alleged that more than £37 million in tuition fees and stipends accumulated between 2020 and 2025, and questioned the award of a government-funded scholarship to a 16-year-old to attend a private secondary school in the UK at a reported cost of over £56,000.
Responding to concerns over delayed scholarship payments, including a planned protest by affected students, Ms Benson said the current administration inherited substantial financial obligations. She noted that the government had paid £3 million towards the arrears last year, settled first-quarter payments this year, and is processing second-quarter payments while working to clear the outstanding debts.