The campaign by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to ensure academic integrity has extended to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) under the Ministry of Education, where the acting Deputy Director-General, Justice Ray Achoanya Ayam, has been directed to stop using an "invalid Dr" title obtained from the Swiss Management Center (SMC) University from Switzerland.
According to GTEC, there are discrepancies and irregularities in the certificate and transcript from SMC issued to the acting Deputy Director-General of NaCCA, apart from the fact that the "Doctorate of Business Administration" certificate has no accreditation and therefore not recognised by GTEC.
Aside that, the nature of the degree awarded, from the certificate he presented to GTEC, indicates a "Doctorate of Business Administration".
The Commission notes that this formulation differs from the conventional designation "Doctor of …" which is typically used for doctoral-level awards.
Discrepancies in Institutional Identification
The commission also observed an inconsistency between the awarding institution and the issuing body. While the certificate bears the name Swiss Management Centre, the accompanying transcript is issued by SMC University, though both are dated June 22, 2018.
Irregularities in Academic transcript
The transcript submitted contains several inconsistencies and irregularities, including but not limited to the following:
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The absence of information specifying the semester or academic year during which each of the seven listed courses was taken over the six-year duration of the programme.
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The allocation of an unusually high average credit load (approximately 85 credits per course), amounting to a total of 612 credit hours, which is academically implausible.
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(iii) The grading system used is atypical; grades are represented numerically rather than by the standard letter grading system (A, B, C, etc)
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The conversion of numerical grades (e.g. 3.8 and 3.7) to letter grades (A and A- respectively) lacks consistency with standard grading conventions
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The doctoral thesis titled "Impact of Costing Systems on Financial Sustainability of Ghanaian Public Universities" lacks a course code, identification number, and credit weighting. The same applies to the other courses listed, making it impossible to determine how they contribute to the cumulative GPA
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GTEC, since the start of the campaign, has detected several irregularities and inconsistencies in the DBA certificates from SMC.
While some of them state Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), others state Doctorate of Business Administration.
The transcripts submitted by many individuals, whom GTEC has queried in their communications, also have many discrepancies.
NaCCA acting Deputy Director-General
In the case of Justice Ray Achoanya Ayam, the acting Deputy Director-General of NaCCA, GTEC first demanded clarification and documentary proof regarding his use of the academic title “Dr” in a November 4, 2025, letter.
After examining the certificate and transcript he submitted from SMC for his "Doctorate of Business Administration," GTEC in a letter dated November 10, 2025, signed by the Director-General, Prof Ahmed Jinapor Abdular directed him to cease using the title.
Accordingly, he has been directed to stop using it in all forms and representations with immediate effect.
Justice Ray Achoanya Ayam is to further submit verifiable evidence that the title has been removed from all relevant materials, including official documents and records, institutional or professional profiles, websites and digital platforms, letterheads, and any other public or professional materials
The directive has also been communicated to his employer, the Ministry of Education, through the Chief Director and the Director-General of NaCCA for appropriate enforcement action.
GTEC has consistently explained that “the use of such titles—particularly when they lack formal academic validation—can be misleading and is inconsistent with the established academic protocols and standards governing the conferment and use of academic ranks in Ghana,” the letter stated.
Writer's email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh
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