Most scholarship beneficiaries do not return to Ghana - PAC

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and Member of Parliament for Ketu North, James Klutse Avedzi, has voiced serious concerns over the growing number of scholarship beneficiaries from Ghanaian universities who fail to return home after completing studies abroad, Graphic Online reports.

Speaking during a press briefing in Ho, where the PAC held its Zonal Public Hearing, Mr. Avedzi

Read full articleunderscored the financial burden this trend places on the nation, noting that these scholarships are often funded by the government with the expectation of beneficiaries returning to serve.

Highlighting the issue, Mr. Avedzi stated, “The challenge we have seen over the years, which still persists, is with the sponsorship given to lecturers who go abroad for their PhDs. The government sponsors and pays them, expecting them to return and serve, but they end up staying in their countries of study without coming back.”

He called for stricter measures to be implemented by university authorities to hold beneficiaries accountable, including the introduction of an improved guarantor system to enforce these obligations.

In addition to the scholarship issue, the PAC Chairman brought attention to the problem of unearned salaries, where individuals, including those who have passed away or vacated their posts, continue to receive payments.

He cited a recent case involving a lecturer at Accra Technical University, who had been receiving a double salary for over a year, which he labeled a criminal act that must be dealt with.

"Such practices are not just financial mismanagement but outright criminality," Mr. Avedzi stated.

Entities such as Koforidua Technical University, Accra Technical University, and several colleges of education were among those reviewed during the PAC's hearing.

The Committee is determined to ensure financial accountability and transparency across public institutions in the regions, with reports from Volta, Oti, Greater Accra, and Eastern regions already under scrutiny.