Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ireland, Sabah Zita Benson, has raised concerns about alleged excessive government expenditure on beneficiaries of Ghana-funded scholarships who travelled to the UK with their spouses and children.
Speaking on TV3’s Ghana Tonight on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, Zita Benson said she had examined documents covering three or four cases involving scholarship beneficiaries who travelled to the UK to pursue programmes such as Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Public Policy.
According to the High Commissioner, some beneficiaries were accompanied by their spouses and several children, with the Ghanaian government reportedly covering the associated travel and relocation expenses.
She said the Ghana Scholarship Authority (GSA), under the previous Akufo-Addo administration, paid for expenses including premium visa fees, airline tickets, yellow fever cards and vaccinations for family members who accompanied scholarship recipients.
Zita Benson questioned why public funds were used to finance overseas studies for programmes that, according to her, are available at universities in Ghana.
“So a man or woman gets award to come and study MBA or Policy with free tuition and stipend and then the awardee comes along with the whole family,” she stated.
Government Allegedly Paid Travel Costs for Families
The Ghana High Commissioner disclosed that some scholarship beneficiaries travelled with as many as four or five children and a spouse.
She said documents and payment records reviewed by her office showed that travel agents were paid by the state to arrange airline tickets and other travel-related services for the beneficiaries and their families.
According to Benson, government expenditure went beyond scholarship tuition and stipends. It allegedly included premium UK visa fees, air tickets, yellow fever vaccinations and other travel expenses.
She further claimed that approximately £8,160 was paid for each family member accompanying a scholarship beneficiary to the United Kingdom.
Benson also alleged that the government paid premium visa charges, which she said were significantly higher than standard visa fees.
Calls for Investigation and Recovery of Public Funds
The High Commissioner called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the scholarship-related expenditure.
She also urged the government to recover public funds from beneficiaries who allegedly failed to undertake the studies for which they received scholarships.
According to her, anyone found to have misused or improperly authorised state funds should face appropriate legal action, including possible prosecution for causing financial loss to the state.
Ghana’s £35 Million Debt to UK Universities
Benson further linked the controversy to Ghana’s outstanding financial obligations to universities in the United Kingdom.
She said Ghana currently has an estimated £35 million debt owed to UK universities, suggesting that questionable expenditure on government-funded overseas scholarships could add to the country’s financial burden.
The comments have sparked renewed debate over Ghana government scholarships, Ghana Scholarship Authority funding, overseas scholarships, public spending, taxpayer money, UK education, scholarship accountability and financial transparency.
The issue is likely to increase calls for stronger oversight of government scholarship programmes and greater accountability in the use of public funds.
Source: newsthemegh.com