Former GIMPA Rector, Professor Stephen Adei, has stressed the need for enhanced transparency in the scholarship allocation process.

His call follows a report by The Fourth Estate uncovering instances where scholarships designated for financially disadvantaged students were awarded to successful politicians and their relatives.

Notably, the daughters of the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and a former Inspector General of Police were listed among the beneficiaries.

In an interview with Joy News on Wednesday, April 4, Professor Adei stressed the importance of making all scholarship applications and recipients public.

He urged the media to play a pivotal role in holding the government accountable to this transparency standard.

“It has to do with making the system transparent; those who apply and those who are awarded must be published, and this is the type of information that I expect the media to be insisting upon because of the information bill. I think that it must be made public so we can name and shame. So long as we do not do that, I do not think it is a legal issue, but there must be transparency and publishing.

"All those who get the scholarship should be published and the media people can help greatly by insisting that, that is done than what we see as people are alleging. Blay and other people; other ministers… having their children there, then the Ghanaian public would react,” he said.

On another note, Professor Adei highlighted that while it may not be illegal for children of affluent and influential individuals to obtain scholarships earmarked for the financially disadvantaged, it is undeniably unethical.

He conceded that there might be limited legal recourse in such cases but stressed the significance of acknowledging the moral implications of such actions.

Professor Adei insisted on the importance of continued vigilance from both the media and the public in holding the government accountable, underscoring that this issue is fundamentally about social justice.

“For example, you won't believe that my son went to KNUST, and my friend was the vice-chancellor. I was then rector of GIMPA, but I said I would like to pay for it, and I paid for my son, and he was even entitled to a government scholarship. So, it is a moral issue.

"I am wondering whether, on a moral issue, you can punish or take the people to court. I think that when the list is published, there are some who, if they knew the list was published, would not go for it in the future.”