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The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Kenneth Ashigbey, has been told by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) 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 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.
The statement read, “In view of the above, and in accordance with Section 7(i) of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023)—which mandates the Commission as the sole state authority to evaluate and authenticate both local and foreign qualifications—the GTEC deems your Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) certificate from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) invalid”.
They further ordered, Ken Ashigbey provide verifiable proof that the “Dr.” has been removed from all official and professional materials.
Also, 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.
In related news, the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has 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 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.
UTAG press release follows the ongoing dispute between the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah.