The People’s National Party (PNP) has publicly requested that the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) conduct a thorough examination of academic certificates held by appointees in President Mahama’s cabinet, as well as other public sector workers.
In a statement addressed to GTEC Director-General Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, the party’s chairperson and leader, Janet Nabla, called for a comprehensive verification of all categories of academic qualifications, including diplomas, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, with a focus on those obtained from foreign institutions.
The party raised concerns about a growing trend of counterfeit academic credentials in public institutions, warning that this practice jeopardises the legitimacy of Ghana’s education system and undermines public trust in the government.
“The widespread use of fake certificates not only undermines the integrity of our educational system but also erodes public trust in governance and the credibility of our institutions,” according to the letter.
To increase openness, the PNP is requesting that GTEC create a secure, centralised, and publicly accessible database of validated academic certificates awarded by Ghana’s approved institutions.
The party argues that this would allow both public and private companies to verify the veracity of credentials prior to making recruitment or appointment choices.
As part of a suggested funding strategy, the party proposes establishing a “GTEC Monitoring and Evaluation Fee” – a required tax paid by all tertiary-level students — to support statewide assessment and verification operations.
“A country that fails to investigate the educational backgrounds of its leaders and personnel will face long-term economic and governance issues. Individuals who use phoney qualifications indicate a lack of integrity, and no nation can grow on the basis of deception,” the statement continued.
The PNP’s request comes as GTEC has recently written to various government officials and public personalities, urging them to stop using the titles “Dr” or “Prof” due to a lack of verifiable academic explanation.
Rashid Tanko-Computer, CEO of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC); Dr. Joseph Obeng, President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA); and Desmond De-Graft Paitoo, Member of Parliament for Gomoa East, have all been affected.