‘What is wrong, is wrong’ – Kwabena Agyepong wades into GETFund scandal
A former general secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwabena Agyepong, has criticised the allocation of government scholarships to politicians and politically connected people.
“When something is wrong, it is wrong” he said in a JoyNews interview monitored by theghanareport.com.
The scholarship scandal was revealed by the Auditor-General in a performance audit report on GETFund activities from 2012 to 2018.
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A special list of 88 beneficiaries were “Members of Parliament, politicians, media practitioners, lecturers, heads of institutions and associates.”
The report lamented that the GETFund administrators had abandoned the original aims of the GETFund scholarship, which included helping brilliant but needy students.
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Deputy Majority Leader Sarah Adwoa Safo and Education Minister Matthew Opoku Prempeh were some top legislators found to have enjoyed the scholarships.
Some justifications have been offered by some leading personalities in the opposition National Democratic Congress and the governing New Patriotic Party.
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But Kwabena Agyepong indicated he was not impressed by the justifications. It “does not make it right,” he said.
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Ghana politics needs redress
Mr Agyepong lamented the sinking image of politics in the eyes of the public. He condemned the level of degrading, verbal abuse and attacks in political circles when bipartisan discussions should be centred on ideas.
“I’m traumatised how we have allowed political discourse to degenerate,” he said.
He insisted that “politics must be decent.”
He charged politicians to embrace the values of sacrifice, selflessness and service, and discouraged the scramble for wealth, insisting the “rush for material gain does not help anyone.”