GNPC Releases Scholarship List After JoyNews’ RTI Hold

The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has finally made public a list of beneficiaries of its scholarship program. This comes following a prolonged delay in responding to a Right to Information (RTI) request submitted by JoyNews.

Raymond Acquah, the Head of the Research Desk at The Multimedia Group, had initially sought detailed information on all GNPC-funded scholarships awarded to both domestic and international institutions since the program’s inception. However, the GNPC had initially deferred responding to the request.

After persistent pressure and follow-up inquiries, the corporation has now released the comprehensive list of scholarship recipients. The publication of this information is expected to provide greater transparency and accountability in the management of GNPC’s scholarship program.

The requested information included:

1. The request sought a comprehensive list of beneficiaries who received GNPC-funded scholarships to study abroad. This list was to include details such as the year of selection, the institutions attended, the courses pursued, the scholarship amounts awarded, and the selection criteria used.
2. Additionally, a similar detailed list was requested for beneficiaries of GNPC-funded scholarships at local educational institutions within Ghana.
3. The request also asked for clarification on the total annual expenditure related to GNPC-funded scholarships, covering both foreign and local institutions, up to the current date.

In response, GNPC’s Deputy Chief Executive for Finance & Administration, Benjamin Kweku Acolatse, confirmed receipt of the request in a letter dated April 30, 2024.

However, GNPC stated that access to the requested information would be deferred, citing Section 22 of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989). This section permits public institutions to delay access to information if it is scheduled for publication within ninety days of the request or if it is in preparation but not yet finalized.

GNPC explained that the deferral was required to give the GNPC Foundation ample time to prepare a complete list for publication on their official website, which was under construction at the time.

Although the published information does not fully address all aspects of the RTI request, GNPC has now made available the names of scholarship beneficiaries, the year of award, and their programmes of study on their official website.