By Senior Vice President of IMANI-Africa, Kofi Bentil, has criticized the Scholarship Secretariat’s call for legislation to govern its activities, labeling it as a sign of incompetence.
Bentil argues that public offices should be held by competent individuals who exercise their power and authority judiciously. His remarks follow a report by the Fourth Estate revealing cases where scholarships meant for financially disadvantaged students were granted to prominent politicians and their relatives.
Among the beneficiaries listed were the daughters of the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and a former Inspector General of Police.
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During an appearance on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, April 13, Mr. Bentil emphasized that Ghana’s constitution mandates individuals with authority to disclose the principles and regulations guiding their decision-making processes.
“The scholarship secretariat has essentially been given the powers of the public purse to exercise discretion in these areas. They have failed to publish it.
“He is asking for a law to prove that he is incompetent for the job. I am not saying we should not make a law, but laws do not do everything, and we do not need laws to prescribe and make sure every rule is written,” he told host Samson Lardy Anyenini.
The Vice President of IMANI Africa stressed that if Ghanaians cannot have confidence in individuals holding certain positions, it signals a bleak outlook for the country.
He stressed that; “If we make the mistake of putting people there and they come and tell us because I do not have a law that would tell me to do this and that, ( I cannot use my discretion) then that person has disqualified him or herself from that office.”
Bentil asserted that the Scholarship Secretariat should publicly disclose the criteria for its scholarships, with those entrusted with discretion doing so transparently in the public’s interest.
He added that the Secretariat should not obstruct individuals seeking information, including journalists, civil society organizations, and ordinary citizens.
