The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has expressed concern over the corruption plaguing scholarship programmes in the country.

He noted that political appointees and ministers are increasingly competing with vulnerable citizens for these scholarships.

During a press briefing on Tuesday, September 3, Mr Ablakwa highlighted that the elite often secure these scholarships for themselves although they have the means.

He announced that the next National Democratic Congress (NDC) government plans to introduce legislation to reform the scholarship system.

"You go to our districts, they tell you – a critical shortage of various professionals yet our national scholarship regime does not align to those needs. But worse of all the corruption which has engulfed this country has also taken over scholarships… one of them is out there campaigning, he didn’t even show remorse," he stated.

He noted that the scholarships will be coordinated ensuring it aligns with national development goals.

This new law, he says would ban political appointees from benefiting from national scholarships, thereby giving marginalised groups a better chance at accessing quality education.

“For the first time in this country’s history, you have goro boys around scholarships where people now have to pay – we get the petitions. How can brilliant but needy people come up with 80,000, to 120,000 cedis? The corruption has no limit, no conscionable levels even poor vulnerable people are being exploited," he added.