Dr Richard Kofi Asiedu, the Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has replied to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) after it stripped him of using the title “Doctor”.

The NDC Regional Chairman emphasised that he has never faked any degree, as his academic journey is well documented.

According to him, GTEC is deliberately attempting to damage his reputation.

GTEC revealed that the Dr title adopted by the NDC Central Regional Chairman is inappropriate, as it was conferred as an honorary degree.

The commission on July 31, 2025, also ordered Richard Kofi Asiedu to cease using the Professor title.

GTEC, in a letter, stated, “Despite prior communication and your own disclaimer regarding the use of the title ‘Professor’ and the nature of the Doctorate, the Commission has not received the required documentation. Intelligence available to the Commission indicates that the Doctorate in question is honorary.

“As such, and in accordance with academic standards and protocols in Ghana, the use of the title ‘Dr’ in public or official capacities is not permissible for honorary degrees”.

“Pending the submission and successful verification of a formally earned Doctorate certificate, you are hereby directed to immediately cease the use of the title ‘Doctor’ or the abbreviation ‘Dr’ in all official, professional and public contexts”, part of the letter stated.

However, in a statement by St. Andrews Group reacting to GTEC, part of the statement read, “We are compelled to state on record that this development appears to be a deliberate attempt to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of Dr. Asiedu, a man who has devoted his life to education, philanthropy, and national service”.

The statement further detailed, “While Dr Asiedu was in Japan, officials from GTEC contacted him by phone requesting that he make his academic documents available. He informed them that he would do so and initially set 15th September 2025 as the date. However, some of the documents were in the custody of his former spouse, and the court needed to issue directions for their release. When the court did not sit as expected, Dr. Asiedu promptly communicated this challenge to GTEC. At no point has GTEC provided him with an official written directive; the first he and Management learned of any public action was through media publications.

When GTEC earlier directed that the honorary title of “Professor” should not be used, Dr. Asiedu immediately complied and publicly announced that he would henceforth not use that title. Since then, he has only used the academic title “Dr.”, which reflects his earned qualification. This demonstrates that he is law-abiding and respectful of regulatory authority”.

“We further wish to place on record that Dr Asiedu has never faked any degree”.

Read the statement by St. Andrews Group below:

Press Statement
To All Media Houses

St. Andrews Group Defends Dr Richard Asiedu: Academic Credentials Authentic, Reputation Under Unfair Attack

Press Statement
For Immediate Release

The Management of St. Andrews Group of Schools & Companies has noted with deep surprise and disappointment the recent public statement by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) concerning our Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Richard Kofi Asiedu.

We are compelled to state on record that this development appears to be a deliberate attempt to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of Dr. Asiedu, a man who has devoted his life to education, philanthropy, and national service.

While Dr. Asiedu was in Japan, officials from GTEC contacted him by phone requesting that he make his academic documents available. He informed them that he would do so and initially set 15th September 2025 as the date. However, some of the documents were in the custody of his former spouse, and the court needed to issue directions for their release. When the court did not sit as expected, Dr. Asiedu promptly communicated this challenge to GTEC. At no point has GTEC provided him with an official written directive; the first he and Management learned of any public action was through media publications. This sequence of events raises serious questions and gives us reason to believe GTEC may be being used as an instrument for mischief or to serve political interests.

When GTEC earlier directed that the honorary title of “Professor” should not be used, Dr. Asiedu immediately complied and publicly announced that he would henceforth not use that title. Since then, he has only used the academic title “Dr.”, which reflects his earned qualification. This demonstrates that he is law-abiding and respectful of regulatory authority.

We further wish to place on record that Dr. Asiedu has never faked any degree. His academic journey is well documented as follows:

After completing his Advanced Level education, he enrolled at the Takoradi Polytechnic (now Takoradi Technical University), where he pursued a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Purchasing and Supply Management from 1997 to 2000.

From 2002 to 2005, he undertook a top-up programme leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) under the public admission scheme.

In 2009, he successfully completed a Master’s degree at the University of Cape Coast (UCC).

Between 2009 and 2012, he pursued and completed a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) at Atlantic International University, Hawaii, USA. His doctorate is purely academic, and he possesses all relevant documents, including transcripts, to verify this qualification.

Dr. Asiedu has nothing to hide. All his academic qualifications and honorary recognitions can be independently verified with the respective institutions that awarded them.

For his outstanding contributions to education, Dr. Asiedu has also been honoured internationally:

In February 2022, the Alfred Nobel University in Ukraine conferred on him the honorary title of Professor in Human Development, during a public ceremony to which he invited John Dramani Mahama, then-presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and now President of the Republic of Ghana, who delegated Prof. Joshua Alabi to represent him.

In October 2023, he was conferred with an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree in Human Resource Management by Azteca University, Mexico, in recognition of his remarkable contributions to education and national development.

It is important to note that Dr. Asiedu is currently not using any honorary titles, even though they were conferred by accredited institutions both in Ghana and abroad.

With respect to GTEC’s current directive, Dr. Asiedu has already indicated his readiness to submit all relevant academic documents. He is set to receive the last batch of documents on Tuesday, 23rd September 2025, following the court’s direction for their release, and will accordingly submit the complete set to GTEC on Thursday, 25th September 2025, in the company of his lawyers.

Against this background, the premature release of GTEC’s directive into the public domain—despite his formal communication and ongoing arrangements—comes as a shock to us. It is unfair, unnecessary, and damaging to the reputation of a distinguished Ghanaian educationist who has consistently acted in good faith and complied with directives.

We also wish to caution political actors who may be attempting to feed into this development for partisan gain. Matters of academic verification should remain professional and above politics.

Finally, we call on the public, stakeholders and media houses to hold regulatory bodies to the highest standards of transparency and accountability. We urge the media to exercise restraint and circumspection in their reportage and to allow due process to run its course before rushing to judgment.

Signed
William Mintah Hayford
Management Secretary
St. Andrews Group of Schools & Companies