GNPC offers full scholarship to brilliant “galamsey” boy

Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson Jun - 15 - 2023 , 22:03

The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC ) has offered full scholarship to Stephen Koomson, a 21-year-old Senior High School graduate who resorted to illegal mining [galamsey] due to financial constraints to further his education.

Koomson attended Mpohor Senior High School and had 5As and 3Bs in the 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

He was forced to engage in 'galamsey' due to economic difficulties but will now have the opportunity to study law at the University of Ghana which will be fully funded by GNPC.

In a post on Twitter GNPC said the pathetic story of Koomson caught its attention when it went viral.

Koomson, the post added, was invited together with his guardians to meet officials of GNPC where he was told the good news.

According to GNPC, it will work together with other stakeholders to ensure that Koomson gets admission to study law at the University of Ghana next year.

Below is a copy of what GNPC posted on Twitter

A future salvaged: GNPC Offers Full Educational Scholarship to Brilliant ‘Galamsey’ Boy.
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From shattered dreams of endless possibilities to finding his hopes restored and aspirations rekindled, the… pic.twitter.com/mgC9mXunnZ
— GNPC Ghana (@GNPCGhana) June 15, 2023

From shattered dreams of endless possibilities to finding his hopes restored and aspirations rekindled, the story of Stephen Koomson, the brilliant 21-year-old former student of Mpohor Senior High School in the Western Region who, for financial constraints, resorted to illegal mining (Galamsey) instead of furthering his education, has been granted a full educational scholarship by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to study Law at the University of Ghana.

Koomson, whose plight caught the attention of GNPC when his story went viral on social media, recorded an impressive 5As and 3Bs across various subjects in the 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) but has since had his education curtailed by the lack of support and this, according to him, led to his involvement in small-scale illegal mining (Galamsey).

At a brief meeting with the former Mpohor SHS student and his guardians, the Executive Director of the GNPC Foundation, Dr. Dominic Eduah, described Stephen’s circumstance as an “unfortunate situation deserving immediate attention” and hence, GNPC’s decision to intervene.

“We are enrolling him on the GNPC scholarship immediately to put his dreams of becoming a lawyer back on track and we are just as excited to offer him an opportunity to facilitate this in consonance with the tenets of our Education & Training mandate,” he said.

He added that GNPC, in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders, have set in motion plans to ensure Stephen gains admission into the University of Ghana Law School by the next Academic year.

A visibly elated yet emotional Koomson expressed his profound gratitude to GNPC for acting on his story to ensure the life and future he envisioned as a boy becomes a reality. He assured of his readiness to remain studious and be a worthy ambassador for GNPC.