BNI must act fast to arrest, recover misused scholarship funds— High Commissioner Zita Benson

Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Sabah Zita Benson, has issued a strong call for the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI) to urgently intervene in what she describes as a “widespread and egregious” abuse of public funds at the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat. Madam Benson is demanding that the intelligence agency not only expedite investigations but also effect immediate arrests and compel the repayment of millions of cedis allegedly diverted to support the families of scholarship beneficiaries.

In a no-holds-barred interview with Dr. Ren, the High Commissioner revealed that documents she has reviewed—dating back to the tenure of the Secretariat’s former leadership—uncover a pattern of serious irregularities that have placed a severe strain on the state’s scholarship budget.

Allegations of Extravagant Expenditure

Madam Benson presented a specific, damning case that encapsulates the alleged abuse. She cited an instance where a beneficiary pursuing a master’s degree programme in the UK was reportedly accompanied by their spouse and three children. According to the documents, the cost of visas, yellow fever vaccination cards, and air tickets for the entire family was estimated at a staggering £90,000—roughly equivalent to over GH₵1.4 million at current exchange rates.

Furthermore, she alleged that the husband and all three children were placed on monthly allowances drawn directly from the scholarship scheme, despite the award being strictly intended for the individual student’s academic upkeep and living expenses.

“When a scholarship is granted, it is awarded to an individual for a specific academic purpose—not to bankroll their family’s holiday or living standards abroad,” Madam Benson stated. She questioned the moral and legal justification for such spending, adding that these practices may explain the acute financial distress the Secretariat is currently grappling with, including the backlog of unpaid allowances for genuinely needy scholars.

The Financial Strain on the Secretariat

The allegations come at a sensitive time for the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, which has faced mounting criticism over its inability to disburse funds to several awardees who are already enrolled in local and foreign institutions. Many scholars have been forced to defer their studies or rely on personal loans due to delayed stipends and unpaid tuition fees.

High Commissioner Benson argued that the extravagant spending on beneficiaries’ relatives may have directly contributed to these deficits. “We are talking about taxpayers’ money—money meant to build the human capital of this nation. If one family’s travel and allowances cost £90,000, multiply that by the several cases we suspect, and you begin to see why the Secretariat is broke,” she noted.

A Call for Immediate Accountability

Rather than waiting for internal audits or administrative reviews, Madam Benson urged the BNI to treat the matter with the urgency it deserves, invoking the agency’s mandate to investigate state financial crimes and recover misappropriated assets.

“That is why BNI must move fast and make arrests and make people pay for this. People must refund,” she declared emphatically. She stressed that mere dismissals or resignations would not suffice; those who authorized and approved the payments must face criminal liability and be compelled to make full restitution.

The High Commissioner also called for a forensic audit of all scholarship disbursements made under the previous administration, particularly for foreign postgraduate programmes, to determine the full extent of the irregular payments.

Broader Implications for Public Trust

The Ghana Scholarships Secretariat was established to provide financial support to brilliant but needy Ghanaians and to train the next generation of public sector leaders. However, repeated allegations of mismanagement risk eroding public confidence in the institution. Madam Benson’s public outcry serves as a stark reminder that government-funded scholarships are not discretionary welfare packages, but rather strategic investments in the nation’s future.

As the BNI is now under pressure to act, the case raises critical questions about oversight mechanisms within state agencies. With Ghana facing a challenging fiscal environment, many Ghanaians will be watching closely to see if the state moves swiftly to claw back the funds and hold the perpetrators accountable.