Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu has announced that President John Dramani Mahama is set to sponsor full scholarships for the top 10 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) candidates every other year.

Speaking at the WAEC Distinction Awards in Accra, Mr Iddrisu said the initiative, originally intended for just three students, has been expanded at the behest of the President to benefit 10 exceptional candidates in each cycle.

“I have the pleasure of President John Dramani Mahama to announce today that these award winners of three — the President has asked me to expand it to ten awardees,” the Minister stated.

“All awardees, the overall best-performing candidates in WASSCE every other year, will be determined solely by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and will qualify for President Mahama’s scholarship,” he added.

The scholarships, to be fully funded through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), will be managed by a new Scholarship Authority yet to be established.

Mr Iddrisu emphasised that the selection process will be free of any political or external interference, with WAEC maintaining full control over determining the recipients based on academic merit.

“Without any interference from WAEC’s determination of these best students, ten of them will receive the President’s pleasure of continuous support,” he affirmed.