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The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has directed the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Kenneth Ashigbey, to immediately stop using the title “Dr” after declaring his Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) invalid.
The directive was contained in a statement issued on Friday, October 10, 2025, and signed by GTEC’s Director General, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, following an investigation into a petition challenging the legitimacy of Mr Ashigbey’s academic qualification.
According to the Commission, a preliminary check confirmed that Mr Ashigbey obtained a DBA certificate from SMC. He later submitted his certificate and transcripts for review after being contacted by GTEC.
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However, the Commission’s review uncovered discrepancies between the certificate and the transcript. While the certificate bore the name Swiss Management Centre (SMC), the transcript was issued under Swiss Management Centre (SMC) University. A further check of the institution’s official website, as of October 10, 2025, indicated that it is currently known only as Swiss Management Centre, consistent with the certificate issued on December 30, 2019.
GTEC described the variation in institutional names as “unusual”, especially since the transcript, issued later on January 15, 2020, included the term “University”, which was not reflected on the certificate.
The Commission also raised eyebrows over the nine-year duration of the programme. Records showed that Mr Ashigbey enrolled on February 10, 2010, and graduated on December 30, 2019—a timeline GTEC deemed atypical for a DBA programme.
“In view of the above, and in accordance with Section 7(i) of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023)—which mandates the Commission as the sole state authority to evaluate and authenticate both local and foreign qualifications—the GTEC deems your Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) certificate from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) invalid,” the statement said.
GTEC has therefore instructed Mr Ashigbey to provide verifiable evidence that the “Dr” title has been removed from all official and professional platforms, including institutional documents, profiles, websites, digital platforms, and letterheads.
The Commission stressed that the directive is part of its mandate to safeguard academic integrity and ensure that only legitimate qualifications are recognised in Ghana, adding that a full assessment of the case remains ongoing.
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