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Ghanaian students in Serbia cry over delayed stipends
Some Ghanaian students studying in Serbia say they are facing significant hardships due to delayed stipends from the Scholarship Secretariat.
These stipends, meant to support academic activities, have been stagnant for over a year, causing severe impacts on their studies and mental well-being as they navigate life in a foreign land.
Citi News’ engagement with some students revealed that their livelihoods rely heavily on loans or low-paying jobs.
Abdul Salam Mohammed, a Ghanaian student in Serbia said “We came in May [2023] and we haven’t received our stipends since last year, so it’s almost been 11 months. Even though we’ve had constant engagement with the Secretariat, nothing has been done about it and this has been a challenge for us. Many of us are adapting by doing a lot of menial jobs here and there which is also affecting our academics.
Another student who spoke on anonymity stated, “I arrived in Serbia last year and the main challenge here is with finances. We struggle to cater for many of our needs here and this affects our studies which is the main reason why we’re in this country. We borrow money from our country mates and people from other African countries to feed ourselves. Even moving to the main campus for lectures is by bus and if we don’t have money to do that, how do we learn.”
These discussions surrounding scholarships have intensified following an investigative report by The Fourth Estate, uncovering instances of influential individuals and associates of powerful figures receiving scholarships, deviating from the Scholarship Secretariat’s intended purpose of assisting academically gifted but financially needy students, both locally and internationally.
This revelation has stirred public outrage, especially as some students abroad continue to struggle with delayed stipends, hindering their academic pursuits.
Equal sentiments are shared by Ghanaian students studying in Hungary.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the Institute for Education Studies, Dr. Peter Anti Partey, has described the situation as ‘unfortunate’ and called for a Presidential intervention to address the issue.
“It is a bit strange because while these huge sums of money are being given to people, others are out there complaining that monies supposed to be paid them haven’t been received. It’s a messy situation, and that’s why we think that it shouldn’t be limited to the Office of the Special Prosecutor but also the President must make an intervention, and set up a commission of enquiry and at the end of the day we can have far-reaching recommendations that would reform the scholarship secretariat,” he said.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
