The Registrar of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat (SCHOLSEC), Mr. Alex Kwaku Asafo Adjei, has paid a working visit to the Republic of Serbia to engage Ghanaian students studying under the Secretariat’s scholarship scheme and assess their welfare and academic conditions.
The visit, according to Mr. Asafo Adjei, forms part of the expanded vision of President John Dramani Mahama to ensure that Ghanaian students abroad do not suffer setbacks in their studies due to delays in the release of funds.
“Under the expanded vision of His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama, we are ensuring that Ghanaian students abroad do not have their studies impeded because of delays in funding,” the Registrar said.
“This visit was to familiarise ourselves with the status of our students and to identify ways to improve our services so their studies can be easier and more comfortable.”
During the visit, the SCHOLSEC delegation was received by Ghana’s Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Kwesi Ahwoi, who provided a firsthand situational briefing on the condition of Ghanaian students in the country.
Mr. Asafo Adjei acknowledged the Ambassador’s role in maintaining strong relations between the Mission and the students, particularly following the clearance of arrears and the timely release of funds.
“We are grateful to H.E. Kwesi Ahwoi for his warm reception and frank conversations with us. The clearing of the backlog of arrears and the timely release of funds have greatly improved relations with our students and contributed to their academic success,” he stated.
He assured the Ambassador of the Secretariat’s commitment to addressing the challenges identified during the engagement in line with the government’s development agenda.
“We have assured the Mission of our commitment to work swiftly to resolve the identified challenges to better advance the resetting agenda of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama,” Mr. Asafo Adjei added.
The Registrar also met with Ghanaian students in Serbia, led by Mr. Mohammed Mutala Suraj, a Ghanaian PhD student at the University of Belgrade. The students expressed appreciation to President Mahama and the Scholarship Secretariat for the prompt resolution of their long-standing challenges.
They particularly commended the government for the complete clearance of outstanding fees and stipend backlogs, which had previously left many students distressed.
In response, Mr. Asafo Adjei reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the welfare of Ghanaian students abroad.
“The welfare and continuous success of our students remain our topmost priority. The era where Ghanaian students under our scheme are left dejected is behind us,” he stressed.
The students described the visit as historic and uplifting, while appealing for an increase in stipends and the continuous timely release of funds. They also pledged to uphold high moral and academic standards that would reflect positively on Ghana.
The Scholarship Secretariat concluded by reiterating that government’s Resetting Ghana agenda remains firmly on course, with students at the centre of its priorities.
