By Daniel Bampoe
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, GTEC, has taken decisive action against two National Democratic Congress, NDC Members of Parliament and a high-ranking government official over the use of academic titles they have not earned.
The move comes amid growing concern over the misuse of honorary degrees and academic ranks by public figures in Ghana.
In separate letters issued to Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor, MP for Awutu Senya East, Desmond De-Graft Paitoo, MP for Gomoa East, and Kwame Adom-Frimpong, Board Chair of the Internal Audit Agency, GTEC directed the individuals to immediately stop using the titles “Dr” and “Prof” unless they can prove those distinctions were earned through formal academic procedures.
Misleading Titles in Parliament
GTEC’s action, dated June 16, 2025, extends its campaign to cleanse Ghana’s public sector of fraudulent academic credentials into Parliament, where MPs are now being held accountable for using titles without clear academic merit.
Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor, who was recently appointed to the Board of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has been asked to desist from using the “Dr” prefix unless she can submit verifiable academic documentation supporting her claim.
GTEC’s letter instructed her to scrub the title from all public and institutional records, including letterheads, websites, and social media.
Similarly, Desmond De-Graft Paitoo has until June 30 to explain the origin of his “Dr” title. GTEC is demanding full disclosure about the awarding institution, the nature of the degree (earned or honorary), and the circumstances under which it was conferred.
Until then, he has been asked to stop using the title altogether.
Failure to comply, the Commission warned, could trigger regulatory sanctions under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023).
Internal Audit Agency Boss
Kwame Adom-Frimpong, a prominent chartered accountant and Chair of the Internal Audit Agency, is also under scrutiny for referring to himself as “Professor.”
According to GTEC, Adom-Frimpong must provide documentation confirming he was appointed or promoted to the rank of associate professor or professor by a recognised academic institution.
In the absence of such evidence, the Commission has ordered him to discontinue use of the title and to expunge it from all public and professional materials.
Despite his decorated profile—which includes a doctorate in Financial Management, an MBA in Finance, and leadership roles at SSNIT, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Mainstream Reinsurance— GTEC stressed that the use of “Professor” without a formal academic appointment violates academic protocols.
Adom-Frimpong’s résumé, as published by the Internal Audit Agency, also lists adjunct and visiting roles at institutions like the University of Ghana Business School and the Ghana Baptist University College, but none explicitly indicate his promotion to professorship.
Broader Clean-up Effort
The move by GTEC forms part of a wider clampdown on the rising trend of unearned academic titles among Ghanaian elites.
The Commission has expressed concern over the increasing number of politicians, business people, and public figures using “Dr” and “Prof” titles that originate from honorary degrees conferred by little-known institutions—often without academic rigor.
GTEC Deputy Director-General Prof. Augustine Ocloo emphasized that honorary degrees do not hold the same weight as earned doctoral qualifications and that their public use is misleading and unethical.
“These degrees, often conferred by institutions within and outside Ghana, do not carry the academic equivalence of earned doctoral qualifications,” GTEC stated, adding that this practice undermines the integrity of Ghana’s educational system.
Legal and Regulatory Framework
Under Act 1023, GTEC is mandated to regulate, supervise, and ensure the proper functioning of tertiary institutions and academic standards in Ghana.
Its recent interventions highlight its growing role in policing not just institutions, but also individuals misrepresenting academic achievements in public life.
This is not the first time GTEC has taken such action.
Recently, similar warnings were issued to other individuals, including media personalities and professionals, who have been asked to justify their use of academic titles or cease immediately.
However, as the deadline for compliance approaches, all eyes are now on whether the MPs and Adom-Frimpong will heed the directive—or risk regulatory sanctions that could dent their public credibility.
