Six Ghanaian government-sponsored master’s students at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom have accused officials at the Ghana High Commission in London of verbally abusing and physically assaulting one of their colleagues during a protest over unpaid scholarship funds.
The students said they staged a peaceful demonstration outside the High Commission on Monday after going more than 18 months without receiving tuition payments and living stipends from the Government of Ghana.
According to the group, they are owed a total of £238,852 in tuition fees and stipends, a situation they say has prevented them from graduating despite completing their academic programmes.
Speaking to Citi FM, the group’s convener, Noah Krah, said officials at the High Commission failed to engage them despite waiting for hours.
“In four hours, not a single official of the Ghana High Commission came outside to speak with us. There was no acknowledgement, no engagement, and no response of any kind through any formal channel,” he said.
He alleged that when two students later entered the premises, they were met with hostility.
“They started verbal abuse on my colleagues, saying ‘kwasiafo’ and using words like useless people, and Bridget Bonney even said we don’t deserve taxpayers’ money,” he claimed.
Mr Krah said the situation escalated when one of the students, Abena Fosuah, attempted to record the incident.
“My colleague, Abena Fosuah, decided to pull out her phone to record the incident. So Bridget Bonney and other members, whose identities we have yet to establish, forcibly took Abena Fosuah’s phone and deleted all her recordings, including interviews she took for her academic work,” he alleged.
He disclosed that a formal complaint has been submitted to the Head of Education and Recruitment at the High Commission, but no response has been received.
“I sent an update of the protest and the resulting incident of assault to the Head of Education and Recruitment at the Ghana High Commission. As of now, they have not reverted,” he said.
The students are demanding a full investigation into the alleged incident, immediate payment of outstanding scholarship funds, and a formal apology from those involved.
Mr Krah added that medical personnel confirmed the affected student sustained soft tissue injuries, with recovery expected to take up to two weeks.
“The victim has been given some prescriptions and also been advised to report the matter to the Police, Citizen Advice and the Ombudsman,” he said.
He further indicated that an X-ray examination had been conducted and mental health support arranged, as the student remains traumatised by the incident.
The case has intensified concerns over the welfare of Ghanaian students on government scholarships abroad, particularly in relation to delayed payments and institutional response to grievances.
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