Ghanaian PhD Students in UK Reject Ghana High Commission’s Proposed Oath-Taking Exercise

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Leadership of Ghana Scholarship Secretariat-sponsored PhD students in the United Kingdom has rejected a proposed oath-taking exercise announced by the Ghana High Commission in the UK, describing the initiative as unnecessary, discriminatory and inconsistent with the conditions under which their scholarships were awarded.

The proposed exercise is reportedly intended to reaffirm beneficiaries’ commitment to return to Ghana after completing their studies.

However, in a statement issued on Friday, August 7, 2026, the student leadership questioned the necessity and legal basis of the exercise, arguing that scholarship beneficiaries had already signed bond forms committing them to return to Ghana upon completion of their programmes.

The students said they were also concerned that the proposed physical exercise could further complicate an already difficult situation for beneficiaries who have allegedly gone for several months without receiving their tuition payments and stipends.

Students question need for oath-taking

According to the students, the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat (GSS) already conducts an annual progress review to assess beneficiaries’ academic progress, validate their status and facilitate the renewal of scholarship letters.

“We are aware of our annual progress review, which the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat (GSS) undertakes to validate, assess our members’ progress and renew their scholarship letters,” the statement said.

They explained that the review had traditionally involved students responding to questions from an academic panel and submitting relevant documentation, including previous scholarship award letters and evidence of academic progression.

Because beneficiaries are studying at universities spread across different parts of the UK, the students said the process had largely been conducted remotely by the GSS office in Accra in collaboration with the Education Liaison Officer in the UK.

They therefore questioned why the Ghana High Commission had introduced a physical oath-taking exercise at unspecified locations across the United Kingdom.

“Therefore, it is strange that a letter is originating from the Ghana High Commission on social media asking students to attend an oath-taking event at unspecified locations in the UK,” they said.

Students raise concerns over unpaid allowances

A major concern raised by the students relates to alleged delays in the payment of tuition fees and stipends.

The leadership alleged that several beneficiaries had gone for months without receiving payments they consider essential to their studies and day-to-day survival.

“We find this development to be a deliberate effort by the management of the scholarships to delay the statutory payments of students’ tuition fees and stipends, which have been in arrears for several months,” they alleged.

The students argued that the priority should instead be resolving outstanding financial obligations to beneficiaries before introducing additional physical validation requirements.

They also claimed that the delays had created serious financial difficulties for some students, including challenges with accommodation.

“Since most of our colleagues are now homeless due to eviction from their accommodations, we believe that a more efficient way to validate the award letters should be through an online form system,” the statement said.

The students said the financial difficulties also meant some beneficiaries could not afford transportation to attend a physical exercise at a venue in another part of the UK.

“We wish to inform the Ghana High Commission that since our members have not received their statutory allowances for several months, we are unable to transport ourselves to any venue for such a manual validation exercise,” they said.

Dispute over Ghana Scholarship Authority Act

The student leadership also raised concerns about references to Section 31 of the Ghana Scholarship Authority Act, 2025, arguing that the legislation was enacted after many of their scholarships had already been awarded.

“We note with concern the consistent reference to Section 31 of the Ghana Scholarship Authority Act, 2025, a recent regulation that was not in effect at the time the scholarship letters were awarded to our members,” they said.

According to the students, the conditions governing their scholarships, including academic progression, renewal and the requirement to return to Ghana, were already set out in their scholarship award letters and bond forms.

“The issue of our members returning to Ghana is clearly captured in the bond form we signed before the scholarship letters were awarded,” they said.

They therefore questioned the basis for introducing an additional oath-taking requirement for beneficiaries who had already entered into contractual commitments with the scholarship authorities.

Students challenge interpretation of Oaths Act

The students also disputed what they described as the Ghana High Commission’s interpretation of Section 11 of the Oaths Act, 1972 (NRCD 6).

They argued that the provision did not specifically require Ghanaian scholarship beneficiaries studying in the UK to swear an oath before a Ghanaian diplomat.

“We categorically reject such misrepresentation of the Oaths Act because the said regulation does not state that sponsored students in the UK must swear before a diplomat,” the statement said.

The students called for clarity on the specific legal provision being relied upon to organise the exercise and the nature of the oath they would be required to take.

Alleged discrimination against GSS beneficiaries

The student leadership further described the proposed exercise as discriminatory because, according to them, other Ghanaian students studying in the UK under different public scholarship schemes had not been subjected to the same requirement.

They specifically cited beneficiaries of scholarships administered through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).

“We find the High Commission’s letter discriminatory, particularly given that there are other Ghanaian students on the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) and the Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC) scholarships who are equally studying in the UK, but have not been included in this proposed oath-taking exercise,” they said.

They are consequently urging their members not to participate in the exercise until their concerns are addressed.

However, the students stressed that their position should not be interpreted as opposition to accountability or measures designed to strengthen scholarship administration.

“Our members can only participate in this oath-taking exercise after the itemised points below have been made explicitly clear in the oath and fulfilled entirely,” they said.

Students demand payment and reintegration guarantees

Among their key demands is a clear timeline for the payment of all outstanding tuition fees and stipends.

They also want assurances that beneficiaries will not be required to return to Ghana before outstanding financial obligations are settled.

In addition, the students are demanding clear arrangements for the reintegration of scholarship beneficiaries into Ghana’s labour market after completing their studies.

They further want every student who participates in any future exercise to receive a completed copy of all documents signed.

Call for online validation

The students are also calling for the validation process to be conducted online, arguing that such an approach would be more efficient and cost-effective.

“In the spirit of frugality, we call on the management of the scholarships to minimize expenditure and ensure that the state does not incur any ancillary cost in the validation process,” they said.

“To that end, we suggest that the validation process be reverted to the online submission of forms through Google Forms to save cost.”

They argued that an online process would eliminate unnecessary transportation costs and make it easier for beneficiaries studying at universities across different parts of the UK to participate.

Questions over Letters of No Objection

The students also raised questions about the reported issuance of Letters of No Objection (LONO) to beneficiaries seeking two-year hands-on work experience in the UK after completing their studies.

They questioned the apparent contradiction between the issuance of such letters and public comments attributed to the Director-General of the Ghana Scholarship Authority criticising the arrangement.

“Why is he also issuing the same letter to students who have completed their studies, if it’s not right and beneficial?” they asked.

The students are seeking clarification on the policy governing post-study work arrangements and whether beneficiaries are permitted to gain additional professional experience in the UK before returning to Ghana.

Concerns over tuition arrangements

The student leadership also questioned reported arrangements between scholarship management and some UK universities concerning tuition fee payments.

They cited universities including the University of Nottingham and the University of Birmingham and questioned reports of an arrangement involving payment of 10% of tuition fees.

“Why is the management of the scholarship and the High Commission on an agreement for a 10% tuition fee payment for students in universities such as the University of Nottingham and Birmingham if they are unaware of sponsored students in the UK?” they asked.

The students are calling on the Ghana High Commission and the Ghana Scholarship Authority to provide clear explanations regarding the proposed oath-taking exercise, the legal basis for the requirement, outstanding tuition fees and stipends, and the conditions governing beneficiaries’ return to Ghana.

They maintained that resolving these outstanding issues should be prioritised before any new physical validation or oath-taking exercise is implemented.

The dispute highlights broader concerns over the administration of government-sponsored scholarships, particularly the need for clear communication, timely financial support, transparent contractual obligations and efficient systems for monitoring beneficiaries studying abroad.