GTEC instructs Ken Ashigbey to stop using ‘Dr’ title

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has instructed the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ken Ashigbey, to stop using the title “Dr.”

The directive follows concerns over the authenticity of his doctoral degree obtained from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC).

GTEC’s investigation uncovered irregularities in the academic documents submitted by Mr. Ashigbey for verification.

The Commission reportedly found inconsistencies between the certificate and the accompanying transcript, prompting a review into the credibility of the qualification.

According to GTEC’s findings, the certificate cited the awarding institution as “Swiss Management Centre (SMC),” while the transcript described it as “Swiss Management Centre (SMC) University.” Checks on the school’s official website confirmed that the institution is recognised only as the Swiss Management Centre, not a university, further casting doubt on the legitimacy of the award.

“You are further required to provide verifiable evidence that this title has been removed from the following (but not limited to): Official documents, Institutional or professional profiles, Websites and digital platforms, Letterheads, Any other public or professional materials”, a letter from GTEC dated October 10, 2025 addressed to Ken Ashigbey and signed by Prof Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, the Director-General of GTEC stated.

Further scrutiny also revealed an unusually long duration for the doctoral programme, which appeared to run from February 2010 to December 2019 a span of almost nine years. Based on these inconsistencies, GTEC declared the DBA certificate invalid under Ghana’s tertiary education standards.

As a result, the Commission directed that Mr. Ashigbey immediately stop using the title “Dr” in any public or professional context. “Following our review, the Commission directs that Mr. Kenneth Ashigbey immediately cease the use of the title ‘Dr’ until further notice,” part of the statement reportedly read.

The development comes at a time when the use of the title “Dr” has become increasingly widespread across Ghana’s public space, from billboards and church posters to political campaigns and academic events. The prefix, often seen as a mark of prestige, has in recent years been adopted loosely, sometimes without proper academic backing.

Concerned by this growing trend, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has reiterated that only individuals who have legitimately earned accredited doctoral degrees from recognised academic or professional institutions are entitled to use the title.