The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has once again struck, this time going after Ghana’s Presidential Envoy for Reparations, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, to provide evidence supporting his use of the academic title “Dr.”
GTEC, in a statement, demanded that Spio-Garbrah provide evidence supporting his use of the academic title “Dr.” or cease using it if he is unable to prove that it was legitimately conferred
According to GTEC, in a statement, they have noted that Ekwow Spio-Garbrah references himself as “Amb. Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah”.
In a statement issued on Monday, July 27, 2026, GTEC stated, “For the avoidance of doubt, the Commission wishes to formally express its concern regarding the use of academic titles that have not been duly earned or conferred through a recognised academic process.
“The use of such titles—particularly when lacking formal academic validation—can be misleading and is inconsistent with established academic protocols and standards governing the conferment and use of academic ranks in Ghana,” it said.
“The Commission hereby requests that you provide the following documentation: Clarification regarding the use of the title “Dr.”, specifically: the name of the awarding institution, whether the doctoral degree is earned or honorary, the date it was conferred, and the process through which it was conferred”, the statement said.
“The Commission expects your full cooperation in addressing this matter and looks forward to your prompt compliance by July 31, 2026”, the statement added.
Back in 2025, GTEC ordered the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Kenneth Ashigbey, to immediately stop using the title “Dr”.
According to GTEC, Kenneth Ashigbey’s doctoral certificate from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) is invalid.
GTEC, in a statement issued on Friday, October 10, 2025, and signed by its Director General, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, revealed the decision follows a petition it received challenging the legitimacy of Mr Ashigbey’s Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree.
They revealed a preliminary check confirmed that Mr Ashigbey had obtained a DBA from the Swiss Management Centre; however, after reviewing the documents, GTEC identified discrepancies between the certificate and the transcript.
According to GTEC, the certificate was issued by the Swiss Management Centre (SMC), and the transcript bore the name Swiss Management Centre (SMC) University.
It further revealed that checks on the institution’s official website as of October 10, 2025, showed that it is currently referred to only as Swiss Management Centre.
GTEC added that it finds it unusual that the transcript, issued later on January 15, 2020, included the word “University,” which was not reflected on the certificate.
Meanwhile, in 2025, the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) backed the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission’s (GTEC ) efforts to regulate the growing development of individuals flaunting honorary doctorate degrees and fraudulent academic certificates.
According to UTAG, Academic titles must be earned, not purchased.
UTAG, in a press release, expressed concern about the abuse and misrepresentation of such titles.
UTAG’s statement stated, “Academic titles must be earned, not purchased, and their use must reflect the high standards of scholarship and service they represent”.
“UTAG fully supports the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) in its efforts to regulate, monitor, and, where necessary, sanction individuals and organisations involved in the proliferation and misuse of fake academic titles,” the statement added.
See the full statement below:
@ghnow_ Adwoa Safo sends a coded message to Akofena at the funeral of Apostle Kwadwo Safo #GHNow #FYP ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ What was Adwoa Safo saying here 🤔 at the funeral of Safo Kantanka #GHNow #FYP ♬ original sound – KSS.
