The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has waded into the effort of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to purge the tertiary education space of fake PhD holders parading around as ‘Dr’.
It condemned the growing trend of individuals acquiring and “parading honorary doctorate degrees and fraudulent academic certificates, often from unaccredited and questionable institutions in a manner that undermines the integrity of Ghana’s higher education system.”
UTAG said the association had noted with grave concern, the increasing abuse and misrepresentation of such honorary titles, “particularly when used for professional advancement, public deception and influence peddling.”
The association, therefore backed the GTEC saying, “UTAG fully supports the GTEC in ites effort to regulate, monitor and where necessary, saction individuals and organisations involved in the proliferation and misused of fake academic titles.
“We commend your recent public statements and actions taken against such malpractices and urge you to intensify the clampdown, including legal prosecution where applicable.
“In line with our commitment to academic integrity, UTAG calls on all public instituions, civil society organisations, and the media to verify academic claims before offering platforms or recognition,” a letter jointly signed by the President and Secretary of UTAG Prof Mamudu A. Akudugu and Prof Eliasu Mumuni respectively said.
The letter, addressed to the Director-General of GTEC Professor Amed Jinapor and copied the Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu said the association further encouraged the general public to treat with scepticism any self-styled “doctorates” or “professorships” not backed by accredited academic processes or awarded purely for ceremonial purposes without clear distinction.
It also called on the Ministry of Education and GTEC to strengthen public education on the meaning, limits, and appropriate use of honorary degrees.
The association urged all universities to adopt clear internal guidelines on awarding honorary degrees and communicating their non-academic status to recipients and the public.
“Academic titles must be earned, not purchased and their use must reflect the high standards of scholarship and service that they represent.
“We remain available to collaborate with GTEC in preserving the credibility of our academic institutions and safeguarding the integrity of the knowledge society we are all working to build,” the statement concluded.
