The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has instructed the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Kenneth Ashigbey, to immediately stop using the title “Dr.” following the invalidation of his doctoral certificate from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC).
In a statement released on Friday, October 10, 2025, and signed by its Director General, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, the Commission indicated that this decision was made after an investigation into a petition questioning the validity of Mr. Ashigbey’s Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree.
GTEC reported that an initial review confirmed Mr. Ashigbey’s acquisition of a DBA from the Swiss Management Centre. Upon inquiry, he acknowledged possessing the qualification and subsequently submitted copies of his certificate and transcripts to the Commission.
However, upon examination of the documents, GTEC discovered inconsistencies between the certificate and the transcript. While the certificate was issued by the Swiss Management Centre (SMC), the transcript was labeled as being from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) University. Further investigations on the institution’s official website as of October 10, 2025, revealed that it is currently designated solely as Swiss Management Centre, which aligns with the name on the certificate dated December 30, 2019.
The Commission deemed it peculiar that the transcript, which was issued later on January 15, 2020, contained the term “University,” which was absent from the certificate. GTEC also raised concerns regarding the unusually extended duration of the program, highlighting that the transcript indicated an enrollment date of February 10, 2010, and a graduation date of December 30, 2019—a span of nine years.
“In light of the aforementioned, and pursuant to Section 7(i) of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023)—which designates the Commission as the exclusive state authority responsible for evaluating and validating both domestic and international qualifications—the GTEC considers your Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) certificate from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) to be invalid,” the statement indicated.
Consequently, GTEC has directed Mr. Ashigbey to furnish verifiable evidence that the “Dr.” title has been eliminated from all official and professional materials, which encompass documents, institutional profiles, websites, digital platforms, and letterheads.
The Commission further stated that while a comprehensive assessment of the situation is in progress, this directive aligns with its responsibility to uphold academic integrity and ensure that only authentic qualifications are acknowledged in Ghana.
