The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Wenchi, Alhaji Seidu Haruna, has presented a GH¢400,000 cheque to 268 needy tertiary students to help settle their school fees.
The beneficiary students are pursuing various programmes at public universities, Colleges of Education and nurses’ training colleges across the country.
Initiated to support human capital development in the area, the beneficiaries received between GH¢800 and GH¢5,000, depending on individual tuition fees and academic needs.
Sustainable investment
At the fifth edition of the presentation in Wenchi, Bono Region, Alhaji Haruna said the initiative aimed to reduce the financial burden on students and ensure that brilliant needy students were not denied the opportunity to pursue higher education due to financial constraints.
He underscored the importance of education as the most sustainable investment for community transformation.
“No constituency can develop without the quality of its human resources.
“Our focus is to ensure that brilliant students, regardless of their economic background, are given the opportunity to advance academically and realise their full potential,” Alhaji Haruna said.
He explained that the initiative had significantly increased tertiary enrolment and retention rates in the constituency.
Alhaji Haruna emphasised that the support initiative had saved students from low-income households from deferring or abandoning their education.
He said over the years, the support initiative had emerged as a critical social safety net, contributing to skills development, employment readiness and the long-term socio-economic advancement of the constituency.
Alhaji Haruna explained that the programme complemented the government interventions such as the Student Loan Trust Fund and scholarships, while filling critical funding gaps for students whose needs often exceeded existing support mechanisms.
He said, “the non-partisan nature of the selection process, which includes students from diverse political affiliations, is highlighted as a key strength of the programme, reinforcing its credibility and broad public acceptance”.
Prioritise education
The Wenchi Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Gloria Opoku Gyamfi, described the initiative as a model constituency-based intervention, underscoring the need for the country to prioritise education as a long-term development strategy.
She explained that education was the foundation for economic growth, social stability and good governance.
Beneficiaries
Some beneficiaries, who spoke to journalists, expressed gratitude for the timely intervention, calling it a major relief that would allow them to continue their studies without financial disruption.
They explained that the support had reduced their anxiety, improved academic focus and restored hope for their families grappling with the rising cost of tertiary education.
They said rising tertiary fees continued to pose challenges for some, adding that they had pushed many of their promising colleagues to defer admission, rely on informal loans or abandon their studies altogether.
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