[ 2021-02-13 ]

I don’t regret accepting GETFund scholarship in 2016 – Opoku Prempeh
The Minister of Energy-designate, Matthew Opoku
Prempeh says he does not regret benefiting from
the GETFund Scholarship prior to becoming a
government appointee.

He made this remark when he appeared before the
Vetting Committee of Parliament on Friday,
February 12, 2021.

“Members of this House [Parliament] access
scholarships from GETFund . Even on that
particular course [in 2016]. I went with someone
on the Majority side [at the time.] I do not
regret it, it wasn’t done for just me and if I
get the same opportunity, I will do it again.”

This is in sharp contrast with what he said when
his name together with that of the then
Procurement Minister; Sarah Adwoa Safo and the
Executive Secretary of the National Council for
Curriculum and Assessment; Prince Hamidu Armah
were listed as scholarship beneficiaries of the
scheme in a performance audit report from the
Auditor-General.

The Minister in a statement described this claim
as “false and calculated to cause embarrassment
and public ridicule.”

He further clarified that he was only a
“recipient of GETFund award in 2014 to
participate in a 3-week certificate program at the
Kennedy School of Government, Harvard
University.”

The Auditor-General ultimately indicted the
GETFund for breaching its mandate and
“illegally” funding foreign scholarships.

The performance audit report said the GETFund
Secretariat “breached the object of the fund and
administered the scholarship themselves.”

The report also said, “GETFund did not establish
any systems, policies and procedures to ensure the
economic, efficient and effective use of public
funds.”

The Auditor-General concluded that the failings of
the GETFund led to brilliant but needy students
being deprived of scholarship in favour of
politicians in some cases.

Source - Citinewsroom

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