Government abandons scholarship students in China

Ghanaian students numbering about 20 studying in various universities in China have cried out

"We do not want to believe that we have been forgotten since for over a year no monthly stipend nor book allowance has been sent to us. We are fully aware that there has been a change in government but government business still continues as these allowances were monies which were supposed to be paid in the 2016 budget year," the frustrated students said in a statement.

The students said they have been left "appallingly demoralised and disheartened" by the government.

The students added that their complaints to the Scholarships Secretariat and the Ghana Mission in Beijing have yielded no results

"We, however, regret that till date no monies have been paid us for over a year. We have since had several communications with the Ghana Mission in Beijing seeking to find solutions to some of these challenges but all to no avail. Anytime we contact the two state institutions, the Scholarships Secretariat and the Ghana Mission in Beijing responsible for our upkeep and welfare, the responses we have received are always conflicting, to say the least."

"Therefore as a group, we have contacted the Scholarship Secretariat seeking official clarification. In response to our request, the Scholarships Secretariat claims that the monies will be released soon, but we are afraid to say that in our current situation that promise seems to have been a lip service as this has been a repeated and deceptive excuse."

"As a result, most students are highly constrained in their research work, which if further delayed will not guarantee their timely graduation. We are therefore strongly compelled to draw the attention of our nation through your reputable medium and to appeal to the authorities to take action quickly to especially assuage the headache of those who are working on their projects and those who are about to graduate."