The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has instructed the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Kenneth Ashigbey, to stop using the title “Dr.”
According to GTEC, his Doctor of Business Administration certificate from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) is invalid.
This was revealed in a statement issued on October 10, and signed by GTEC’s Director-General, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai.
The statement follows an investigation into a petition challenging the authenticity of Ken Ashigbey’s doctoral qualification.
After reviewing the documents of Mr. Ashigbey’s, GTEC identified discrepancies between the certificate and the transcript.
GTEC stated that while the certificate dated December 30, 2019 was issued by the Swiss Management Centre (SMC), the transcript bore the name Swiss Management Centre (SMC) University.
The Commission found it unusual that the transcript, issued later on January 15, 2020, included the word ‘University’ as that word was not on the certificate, neither is it in the name of the institution.
GTEC also expressed concern over the lengthy duration of the programme, noting that the transcript showed that Ken Ashigbey enrolled in February 10, 2010, and graduated on December 30, 2019.
“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 stated.
GTEC further instructed Kenneth Ashigbey to immediately provide evidence that he has removed the “Dr.” title from all official and professional materials, which includes websites, letterheads, and all digital platforms.
