Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Zita Sabah Benson, has raised concerns over a substantial debt inherited by the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, putting its outstanding obligations in the UK at between £35 million and £37 million, amid fresh questions over scholarship commitments made under the previous administration.
Speaking in an interview on Gold Morning Conversation, Ms Benson said efforts are being made to reduce the accumulated debt, with about £3 million paid last year and another payment made in the first quarter of this year.
She, however, disclosed that further liabilities have emerged following investigations into scholarship awards connected to the 2025/2026 academic year.
According to the High Commissioner, the investigations uncovered an additional £3.2 million liability involving 189 students, further adding to the financial burden facing the Secretariat.
Ms Benson alleged that the former Registrar of the Scholarships Secretariat continued to approve scholarship-related arrangements in 2025, despite no longer being in office following the change of administration in January.
She questioned the authority under which the approvals were made and called for greater scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the commitments.
The High Commissioner also raised concerns about the cost associated with some of the scholarship arrangements, alleging that some beneficiaries travelled with family members whose expenses were also covered.
According to her, each family member captured under the arrangement received £8,160, while airfare for an entire family could amount to about GH¢90,000.
She argued that expenditure of that nature placed additional pressure on the scholarship programme at a time when significant obligations to institutions and beneficiaries remained outstanding.
Ms Benson said resources committed to such expenses could have been directed towards reducing the Secretariat’s accumulated debt.
She further called on the National Investment Bank (NIB) to expedite action on the outstanding matter, stressing the need to resolve the financial obligations as quickly as possible.
According to her, the discovery of the additional £3.2 million liability means the financial burden inherited from the previous administration is greater than initially established.
On prospects for clearing the outstanding obligations, Ms Benson said the ability to make further payments ultimately depends on the availability of funds from the Scholarships Secretariat.
“If money comes from the Scholarships Secretariat, they will disburse it. If not, there is nothing I can do about it,” she said.
The High Commissioner’s disclosures have brought renewed attention to the management of Ghana’s foreign scholarship programme and the financial commitments accumulated from awards made in previous years.
Story by Ruth Quaye
