Drop your ‘Dr’ title now or face prosecution – GTEC to Ken Ashigbey

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has instructed Kenneth Ashigbey, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, to immediately stop using the title “Dr.” following the invalidation of his doctoral certificate from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC).

In a statement released on Friday, October 10, 2025, and signed by its Director-General, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, the Commission indicated that this decision was made following an investigation into a petition questioning the validity of Mr Ashigbey’s Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree.

GTEC reported that an initial review confirmed Mr. Ashigbey’s acquisition of a DBA from the Swiss Management Centre. Upon inquiry, he acknowledged possessing the qualification and subsequently submitted copies of his certificate and transcripts to the Commission.

However, upon examination of the documents, GTEC discovered inconsistencies between the certificate and the transcript. While the certificate was issued by the Swiss Management Centre (SMC), the transcript was labelled as being from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) University.

Further investigations on the institution’s official website, as of October 10, 2025, revealed that it is currently designated solely as Swiss Management Centre, aligning with the name on the certificate dated December 30, 2019.

The Commission found it peculiar that the transcript, which was issued later on January 15, 2020, included the term “University,” which was absent from the certificate.

GTEC also raised concerns regarding the unusually extended duration of the program, noting that the transcript indicated an enrollment date of February 10, 2010, and a graduation date of December 30, 2019—a span of nine years.

“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,” the statement read.

GTEC has, therefore, instructed Mr. Ashigbey to provide proof that the “Dr.” title has been removed from all official and professional materials, including documents, institutional profiles, websites, digital platforms, and letterheads.

The Commission stated that while a full assessment of the case is ongoing, the directive aligns with its mandate to protect academic integrity and ensure that only legitimate qualifications are recognised in Ghana.