A scene during the function.
Twenty-three needy but brilliant Muslim students are to benefit from GH¢52,900 offered by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) scholarship scheme in Ghana at GH¢2,300 per student at public universities in the country.
The amount compares with GH¢2,200 per student, which is more than the rates of medical students at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
These figures were released by the Co-ordinator of the IDB Scholarship Scheme in Ghana, Alhaji Raheem Gbadamashie at the induction of fresh beneficiaries of IDB scholarships for 2016/17.
According to Alhaji Gbadamashie, the amount for each student is more than enough to cushion them and give them the peace of mind needed for their studies, adding that the amount is also more than the maximum paid to students from the Students’ Loans Trust Fund.
He stated that since the IDB Scholarships programme started effectively in 1986/87 not less than 410 Ghanaian Muslim youth have benefitted from the local and external scholarships.
Alhaji Gbadamashie mentioned that apart from the 57 continuing students on the programme now, all others have successfully completed their studies and most of them gainfully employed.
“However, only 97 have started paying as at 2015 about 25 years since the first beneficiaries graduated,” he added.
He said the principal aim of the annual retreat and swear sing-in ceremony and taking of oath of compliance was to constantly remind continuing beneficiaries of the conditions and obligations of the IDB Scholarships repayment and the responsibilities of the graduates.
In his remarks, the vice-chairman of the IDB Education Trust Ghana, Alhaji Hudu Mogtari, reminded the new beneficiaries that the IDB scholarship is supposed to be a grant to the Muslim Community but an interest free loan to capable and needy Muslim students to be paid back, when gainfully employed, into a trust and recycled for more scholarships to every needy Muslim youth.
He said refund by each IDB graduate is supposed to be at optional but reasonable rates and expected to be completed in about the same number of years spent under the scholarship.
According to Alhaji Mogtari, IDD is particular about the refund of the loans and serious defaults in payments by IDB graduates of a country can lead to the reduction in the quota or cancellation of the programme for that country.
In a welcome address, the President of the IDB Graduates Association, Amidu Musah explained that it was because of the challenges being experienced in respect of the refund of loans that it became necessary to request the presence of some close relatives or guarantors to be present at induction ceremonies.
He said it was expected that guarantors would be able to exercise positive influence for their wards to pay their loans when they graduate and are gainfully employed.
In his closing remarks, lug.Aminu Abubakar, who is the Iman of the IDB Graduates, called on all Muslims, who have been successful to get closer to others less successful and support them in their moments of need.
He also asked beneficiaries of IDB graduates not to shirk their responsibilities in paying back the loan in order not to incur the wrath of Allah.