The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has warned Joseph Obeng, the leader of the Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA), over his use of the honorary title ‘doctor’.
The Commission has asked Mr. Obeng to provide “the process, time and which institution” awarded him the doctorate title.
GTEC, in a statement, expressed its deep concern regarding the increasing prevalence of individuals using honorary doctorate titles conferred by various institutions.
According to Prof. Augustine Ocloo, Deputy Director-General of GTEC, the commission is worried that the appropriation of these honorary titles is deemed unethical and contravenes several provisions of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), as well as other pertinent laws governing higher education in Ghana.
“We are counting on your cooperation in this regard,” Prof. Ocloo stated in the letter, emphasizing the commission’s expectation that Dr. Obeng would exercise personal responsibility and refrain from using the title.
The GTEC cited that the use of the title ‘doctor’ without proper accreditation is a violation of the law.
“The appropriation of these honorary titles as part of any recipient’s name is deemed unethical and contravenes several provisions of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023),” the letter read.
The commission warned that failure to comply with the directive would result in regulatory action.
“Please be informed that should the directive from the Commission be disregarded, the Commission reserves the right to invoke its regulatory functions to sanction you,” the letter stated.
