The recent GETFund brouhaha seems to have died down after the short deafening loud uproar about the appropriateness or otherwise of the beneficiaries involved. The backlash mostly rooted in social media with few ripples on traditional media such as radio and television has finally found their smoothness level. As usual, another issue of national concern came up, and it is about going away without any proper mitigating measures to forestall any such future occurrence. As if I expected any other outcome, I am least surprised about the turn of the event.
Issues of national concern are mostly played on the partisan political turf, leaving the soul and spirit of the matter missing in the conversation which mostly lasts for a couple of days. It has become a matter of public knowledge that, if you want to douse a burning issue of national and public interest and especially that which involve politicians, play the partisan political card and in no time, the crust of the matter will be lost to thin air.
The trajectory that has been taken by politicians in addressing issues that afflict 63 years old Ghana seems to work in their interest alone. This further heightens the perception that politicians do not serve the common good or interest of ordinary Ghanaians. Matters of this nature usually take on blame game posture, the normalized witch-hunt accusations and the acceptable loud silence that ensues after the uproar about what has happened only fuel the speculations and callous perception of politicians.
I could come up with a litany of issues that have received similar treatment which later comes to hunt our dear country. It is becoming a normal phenomenon that issues deemed unacceptable will come up, engage public attention for few days and then it will lose its saltiness without any solution. We have moved on from many unresolved issues such as the recently resurfaced ‘galamsey’? What about issues of flooding which have led to lost lives? Think about road accidents claiming innocent lives and yearly reports of alleged corruptions and malfeasance. These are all issues that have left scars on the nations’ conscience which we revisit periodically, but as usual, we move on without any concrete resolution.
Ghana being a developing country with about 57 percent of its population being children and youth of school going age, education remains very important and serve as an engine in driving for development. The establishment of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) in 2000 was therefore strategic. Passed in August 2000, by Act 581 of the parliament of Ghana, the fund has helped in diverse ways as students continue to benefit from it. With all intent and purpose, the GETFund support remains very critical to ‘brilliant but needy’ student who but for support from entities like the GETFund would not have been able to further their education.
But what has become contentious is the qualification and selection criteria in awarding scholarships to students. While the fund remains available to all Ghanaians, the words ‘brilliant but needy’ do the magic as it sought to define who could access this support. Perhaps the vagueness of the above-stated phrase has left a hole in the act for some unprincipled, desirous and immoral politicians and persons to take advantage of the fund, milking it by huge amounts of money. While these acts are less surprising, the effrontery of the defense baffles well-meaning Ghanaian with student interests at heart.
As a tertiary student myself, the monies involved in the auditor general report as reported to be monies received by some Members of Parliament and Ministers for mostly international short courses (two-three weeks) leaves me in awe as to why persons, highly place in society could be allowed to access such facilities, while the real needy students wallow in difficulties.
Funds allegedly received runs to the thousands, for a short period as three weeks leaves me to ask questions such as, where is value for money? While a similar amount could have catered for 100s of equally brilliant students in Ghanaian tertiary institutions. I ask, if article 71 holders considered themselves as needy and therefore fall below the bar to qualify for scholarships such as the GETFund, then it can only be said that they care less for the ordinary people.
The special audit report by the auditor general reveals a lot about Ghana when it comes to political leadership and management. It reveals how highly placed public figures given the opportunity will take from the least placed person who makes ends meet through excruciating toils under the daily blazing hot sun. The report further reveals boldly how official of high repute are willing to advance their scope by relying on state funds to the advantage of their families, friends and close associates.
The Act establishing the GETFund reveals a lot about the failings of the entity which should ordinarily serve the best interest of needy Ghanaian students. Section 2(1) of Act 581 states, “the object of the Fund is to provide finance to supplement the provision of the education at all levels by Government.”
While this is a good idea, the reality on the grounds leaves much to be desired. Government-run Primary, Junior and secondary schools continue to be in deplorable states while money meant to improve them are doled out to benefit people who can pay for their education. So I ask, is the fund being used for the purpose as stipulated in the Act?
Section 2(2) (a) specifies that the act seeks “to provide financial support to the agencies and institutions under the Ministry of Education, through the Ministry, for the development and maintenance of essential academic facilities and infrastructure in public educational institutions, particularly, in tertiary institutions.”
Section 2(2) b of the Act states that the act seeks to “to provide supplementary funding to the Scholarship Secretariat for the grant of scholarships of gifted but needy students for studies in the second-cycle and accredited tertiary institutions in Ghana; and the (c) to contribute monies from the Fund towards the operation of student loans schemes for students in accredited tertiary institutions through loan scheme mechanisms and agencies, approved by the Minister.”
The act states clearly who could benefit from this opportunity but some government officials over the years take advantage while they are in office to use these facilities to upgrade themselves, family members and close associates even when they are in a position to pay for themselves and others. Under no circumstance should someone in the high office of Member of Parliament or Minister be considered as needy and therefore deserve a scholarship of such magnitude to study abroad as it clearly defeats the purpose of the Fund. The offered explanation by those exposed in the recent report will not suffice as it flies in the face of logic as to who can be considered as needy.
With this evidence clearly revealing the inefficiencies in the GETFund management, I cannot but join the group of well-meaning Ghanaians calling for a complete overhaul of the GETFund management for proper management procedure be instituted. For transparency’s sake, criteria for selection of qualified applicants need to be stated clearly and widely published as well as yearly qualified and selected students.
These uncovered rots at the GETFund increasingly add to the trust erosion in political leadership which is running to the abyss. As malfeasance is expected annually in various audit reports and no punitive actions are forth-coming to curb the rising trend. Mistrust among teaming youth is gaining ground as interest in politics is fast waning.
A 2019 survey by the Center for Democratic Development-Ghana (CDD-Ghana) suggests, that 42 percent of respondents remain undecided as to who they will vote for in the upcoming election, while 14 percent of the youth between 18 and 35 indicate that they will not vote.
In an interview with Daily Graphic, an Assistant Reasearch Officer at CDD. Mr. Gilbert Asiamah, said, the report indicated that there was a possibility of a low turnout in the 2020 election, considering the figure that was undecided.
He said the reason being that “From the survey, we realized more of the youth in the urban centers have lost interest as compared to those in the rural areas, this means governments over the years have not been able to address critical issues that affect the urban areas.”
The moral judgment and good conscience that should be the guiding light to public officers are being thrown to the dogs while they continue to take on an embezzlement suit as weekly if not daily scandals rage on with no end in sight.
With endless complaints from the student loan trust fund, perhaps this will be a good opportunity to audit that entity as well.