UK High Commissioner alleges scholarship funds were mismanaged under previous government

Sabah Zita Benson, Ghana's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, has alleged widespread mismanagement in the administration of government scholarship funds under the previous administration. She claims excessive spending on dependants of scholarship beneficiaries contributed to the accumulation of millions of pounds in unpaid tuition and stipends owed to Ghanaian students in the UK. In a series of Facebook posts, Ms Benson cited instances of "reckless" expenditure, including the payment of allowances, airfares, and other benefits for spouses and children. She stated, "The spouse and children were paid £8,160 each to accompany the wife and mother to go study. That is different from the scholarship amount to the beneficiary. Why?… We have hundreds of such cases."

Ms Benson further claimed that money spent on dependants could have settled outstanding tuition fees and living allowances for scholarship beneficiaries. She alleged that more than £37 million in tuition fees and stipends accumulated between 2020 and 2025. She also questioned the award of a government scholarship to a 16-year-old to attend a private secondary school in the UK at a reported cost exceeding £56,000. In one case, the spouse and three children of a beneficiary each received £8,160, and the family's airfare alone reportedly cost GH¢90,000. She cited another case where the government allegedly spent GH¢90,420 on visa fees, tuberculosis screening, and airfare for two students and the spouse of one beneficiary.