No corruption in scholarship awards to ministers - Granger

Pledging his support for the educational advancement of all, including public servants, President David Granger has said that there is nothing corrupt about the granting of scholarships to ministers Annette Ferguson and Nicolette Henry.

“I do not know the grounds for these specific cases but I would say that on the face of it, it is not a corrupt transaction, it is a legitimate means of career development and I think any form of enhancement of a person’s education should be considered and it is a policy of our government to ensure that people improve their academic qualifications,” Granger said on the ‘The Public Interest’ programme, which was broadcast on Friday.

During the programme, Granger was asked to justify the granting of the scholarships, particularly since they are meant for persons who have performed well academically.

He was quick to point out that he was unaware of the circumstances under which the ministers were granted the scholarships and noted that it is a feature of the public sector, particularly the disciplined forces.

The President explained that he has always supported the “academic development of persons, even persons holding office.

This happens in the university, somebody may go on with a Bachelor’s degree and every assistance is provided for that person to be upgraded. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that.”

He explained that in the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force scholarships are granted to officers to enable them to improve their qualifications so that they can perform their duties better.

“I am not concerned necessarily with holding persons back simply because they hold office. All over the public service, we have people who are allowed to improve their qualifications in order to improve their performance,” he said.

The granting of the scholarships to the ministers was made public last month when a list was presented to the National Assembly by Minister of State Joseph Harmon. Harmon released the names in response to a question raised by PPP/C Chief Whip Gail Teixeira during the consideration of the budget 2017 estimates.

The ministers are among 38 persons currently benefiting from government scholarships.

Henry, who is the Minister within the Ministry of Education, is in the first year of a doctoral programme in public health at a US university and it will cost taxpayers $3,339,460 this year. Ferguson, who is Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, is pursuing public policy management in the UK and this is her second year, at a cost of $3,382,300.

Ferguson, in defending the award of the scholarship, said that she applied just like everybody else.

“Personally, I would’ve went through the procedure. I applied and my application was successful and I was granted. So, to say that you’re a minister and you should not have been granted a scholarship, I never made the decision, so whomever was responsible for the approval I think would be best suited to give the response,” she said.

She emphasised that she followed the process “like any other Guyanese” and was accepted at a university based on her credentials. “I was granted an approval by the Government of Guyana,” she added.

When questioned how she was made aware of the scholarship, Ferguson explained that she applied after seeing an advertisement.