ACCRA, Oct 27 (The African Portal) – Ghana’s Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has directed the former Director-General of the Internal Audit Agency, Eric Oduro Osae, to stop using the academic title “Dr”, after finding that the degrees on which the title is based are invalid.
In a letter dated October 13, 2025, and seen by The African Portal, the commission said the joint Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Economy Oduro Osae obtained from the Universidad Central de Nicaragua (UCN) and the Doctor of Political Economy from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) University were not recognised qualifications.
GTEC said the institutions involved lacked the necessary accreditation and that the arrangement between them had previously been rejected by Ghana’s former National Accreditation Board, now succeeded by GTEC.
The regulator has instructed Mr Osae to immediately remove the “Dr” title from all personal, professional and institutional materials, including official documents, websites, letterheads, and social media platforms.
“Please be advised that this directive supersedes all previous correspondence from either GTEC or the former NAB,” the letter signed by GTEC Director-General, Prof Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, stated.
Petition and investigation
The decision followed a petition challenging Osae’s academic credentials. GTEC subsequently wrote to him on October 8, 2025, requesting evidence to support his use of the “Dr” title, including certified degree certificates and transcripts from recognised institutions.
Osae submitted copies of his certificates, transcripts and a 2015 evaluation letter issued by the then National Accreditation Board. However, after reviewing the documents, GTEC said it found “several anomalies inconsistent with standard academic practices.”
These included the absence of credit hours on the transcripts, unclear grading, irregular course classifications, and missing details about the duration of study. The thesis submitted “Financial Management Practices of Sub-national Governments: Evidence from Ghana” also lacked a course code and credit weighting, the commission added.
GTEC further noted that despite its request, no valid certificate from the Universidad Central de Nicaragua was provided, and that it could not reconcile “conflicting academic claims” about Mr Osae’s qualifications, including references to a purported PhD from the University of London on his Wikipedia page.
Final directive
Citing Section 7(i) of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), which empowers it to evaluate and authenticate both local and foreign qualifications, GTEC declared the certificates from SMC and UCN invalid.
Similarly, GTEC has ordered Mr Osae to provide proof that he has stopped using the title “Dr” in all official and public representations.
Below is the GTEC’s response letter to Mr Osae after submitting his credentials
Dear Sir,
RE: REQUEST FOR DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE OF ACADEMIC TITLE (DR.)
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) acknowledges receipt of your letter dated 8th October, 2025, regarding the above subject, together with the accompanying certificate of Doctor of Political Economy from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) and its transcript.
Sir, upon receipt of a petition concerning your use of the title “Dr.”, the Commission undertook a preliminary review, including a basic internet search. This search led to a Wikipedia entry that suggests you hold a PhD in Political Economy from the University of London.
Again, the Commission during its investigations of your Doctoral title arrived at the following:
1. Swiss Management Centre (SMC) – Records indicate that in 2015, you submitted a Doctor of Political Economy certificate from SMC to the erstwhile National Accreditation Board (NAB), which corresponded with you concerning the comparability of the certificate to any recognized doctoral programme. You later cited this exchange as validation of the certificate’s authenticity.
2. Universidad Central de Nicaragua (UCN)-In 2016, you submitted a certificate from UCN to the then NAB, requesting its evaluation. NAB declined to recognize the certificate due to the lack of recognition of the inter-university arrangement between UCN and SMC concerning the joint award of a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Economy.
3. Evaluation of SMC Transcript – A review of the transcript submitted to GTEC revealed several anomalies inconsistent with standard academic practices, including:
Absence of credit hours for courses, making it unclear how a GPA of 3.0 was determined.
Unconventional classification of courses into “core” and “specialization” categories.
The thesis titled “Financial Management Practices of Sub-national Governments: Evidence from Ghana” lacks a course code and credit weighting, making it difficult to assess its role in the doctoral programme.
Suspicious course ID formatting (e.g., 5504/C, 5502/C, 5503/C, 5531/S5532/S, 5533/S, 5534/S, 5535/S).
The transcript does not indicate the duration or academic period (semester, trimester, or year) in which courses were taken.
4. SMC-UCN Relationship – The Commission is unable to verify the nature of the relationship between SMC and UCN in relation to the awarding of your doctoral degrees. It is unclear whether PhD from UCN is a continuation of, or distinct from, the Doctorate awarded by SMC, or whether SMC was aware of the conferral of a joint degree.
Additionally, it is noteworthy that despite being requested to provide supporting documentation for your use of the title “Dr.”, no certificate from Universidad Central de Nicaragua was submitted.
5. Conflicting Academic Claims – The Commission is unable to reconcile the conflicting academic claims associated with your qualifications, including:
A purported PhD from the University of London (as indicated on Wikipedia),
A Doctorate in Political Economy from SMC,
A PhD in Political Economy from UCN.
Given these unresolved discrepancies, and in view of the revocation of SMC’s recognition by the erstwhile NAB, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), under the authority granted by Section 7(i) of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023)-which mandates the Commission to evaluate and authenticate both local and foreign qualifications-hereby declares the certificates from Swiss Management Centre (SMC) and Universidad Central de Nicaragua to be invalid.
Please be advised that this directive supersedes all previous correspondence from either GTEC or the former NAB.
Accordingly, you are hereby directed to immediately cease using the title “Dr.” in all forms and representations. You are further required to provide verifiable proof that this title has been removed from the following (but not limited to):
* Official documents
* Institutional or professional profiles
* Websites and digital platforms
* Letterheads
* Any other public or professional materials
The Commission expects your full cooperation and prompt compliance. Failure to comply with this directive may result in further regulatory or legal action, as stipulated under Act 1023.
Yours faithfully
PROF. AHMED JINAPOR ABDULAI
DIRECTOR-GENERAL
