The default in payment of scholarships and student loan by the National Scholarship Secretariat and the Students’ Loan Trust Fund is a matter of public concern. President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo had promised to award scholarships to students who had enrolled in the various tertiary education in the country. He had asked the Secretariat and other awarding bodies to award scholarships to students who excelled in the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examinations. He made this order after the release of the WASSCE results. This had remained a fiasco, as Secretariat and other awarding scholarship institutions such as GNPC scholarship scheme, Get Fund scholarship, among others had manipulated and delayed the processes leading to their award. The awardees had run helter skelter to look else where for loans to foot their fees. Some had also solicited loans from financial institutions with an accumulated interest rates. This does not auger well for studies at the tertiary level.
In the run up to the 2016 electioneering campaign, the New Patriotic Party had published in their manifesto to lend loans to students who could not afford to pay their academic and residential fees. This policy document has been futile. “We have processed our fees since the commencement of 2020/2021 academic year, but the processes had been truncated, as we were made to believe that the Trust Fund would be calling us for a biometric verification. Since January, we are in the 10th month but and we have not have access to our loan facility in order to pay for our fees”. Aki-Ola AZIZ, level 100 student of Political Science at the University of Ghana had told Walkingencyclopaedia360. He had lamented about the deliberate and abrupt delay in the services of the Fund.
The government of the day has reneged and failed on her promise to the Ghanaian public. “What we are asking is whether the interest payments on the loan facility yet to be provided will not be extended to January, 2021? Students have lost hope and confidence in the government.” “ I don’t believe the Scholarship Secretariat and other awarding bodies will award the Scholarships meant for brilliant but needy students “ , Aki-Ola Aziz had fumed . On the student loan, he commented that, “ We are yet to see if the loan facility will be honoured
Communicators of the ruling New Patrotic Party should check their facts right before broadcasting and commenting on the matter. No wonder, they have failed abysmally, talks alone cannot solve the issue at hand. It takes a political will to address rapidly the issue. Whether rain or storm, students will demand for the loan and scholarship they deserve or due them. Beneficiaries of the GNPC and Get Fund Scholarships had been issued with their award letters, as whether the monies have been transferred to their bank accounts still remains a mirage. The loan facility is on standstill or suspended. The public believe that, the unwillingness to pay for the schemes is business as usual”
2021/2022 academic year would be commencing in January, 2022, yet no assurance has been made by the government to make disbursement as early as possible. Their refusal to disburse the Fund and transfer the money into the students accounts testifies the inability of the government to secure money for the programme to kick start. This is double standards because the Nana Bawumia government’s commitment to pay for allowances for Nursing and Teacher Trainees and NABCO beneficiaries has been truncated as government owes arrears of close to seven solid months.
Their main contenders, the National Democratic Congress had made similar promise which was more advance than they had. They promised Scholarship opportunities for all tertiary students, and a student loan facility which extend for a period of four years and a relief period of three consecutive years after National Service. Their rivals had further promised for one laptop for each student across the tertiary education institutions. This promise had gone down well to the students as evidenced in the massive votes garnered by his Excellency the Former President of the Republic, John Dramani Mahama in the Peoples Manifesto launched by the National Democratic Congress.
“As a matter of fact, the incumbent President and his Vice President have failed woefully. They should go back to the drawing board and sketch the map again” an unknown student had stated.
Source: Walkingencyclopaedia360
Link: https:/walkingencyclopaedia360.blogspot.com/2021/10
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