Reports reveal that Graduates Allegedly Pay Fees to Scholarship Secretariat for Permission to Remain Abroad

Reports have surfaced indicating that Ghanaian graduates allegedly pay fees to the Scholarship Secretariat in exchange for permission to remain abroad after completing their studies.

According to Sulemana Issifu, a Research Fellow at the Hans Ruthenberg Institute, University of Hohenheim, graduates sponsored by the government for overseas studies are expected to return and contribute to the country’s development.

However, some graduates reportedly seek consent letters from the Scholarship Secretariat to extend their stay in foreign countries.

In an interview on Joy FM’s Newsfile, Mr. Issifu highlighted the concerning trend, revealing that these graduates allegedly pay hefty sums, up to £3000, to obtain consent letters from the Scholarship Secretariat.

“Under normal circumstances, if you are sponsored with state funds, you are required to come back and assist the country in one way or the other,” Mr. Issifu explained.

“However, there are some graduates who, after completion, request a letter of consent from the Scholarship Secretariat to continue their stay in that particular country. So there are some graduates who are paying as much as £3,000 to the Scholarship Secretariat to get the consent letter.”

Mr. Issifu expressed concern over the repercussions of this alleged corruption, noting that instead of contributing to the development of their homeland, graduates end up engaging in menial jobs such as janitorial work and serving in old age homes abroad.

“This is what our taxes are being used for, and someone sits at the Scholarship Secretariat to justify this. I wonder if such people have a conscience,” he remarked.