Former Deputy Minister of State at the Presidency, Victoria Bright, has defended the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) in the ongoing debate over academic titles.
The former appointee in the Kufuor administration insists the regulator is not witch-hunting anyone.
Her comments come in the wake of a high-profile standoff between GTEC and Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, over the use of the ‘Professor’ title.
GTEC’s Director-General, Professor Ahmed Abdulai Jinapor, has publicly rejected a two-week ultimatum from Dr. Ayensu-Danquah’s lawyers, arguing that her claims of academic rank are inconsistent and not backed by clear evidence.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Monday, August 18, Ms. Bright dismissed the notion that GTEC’s actions were unfair or politically motivated.
“What GTEC is doing is not a witch-hunt. And I don’t understand why people are portraying it as such and calling themselves victims. How are you a victim? If you have the degree, just produce it, end of story,” she said.
For her, the matter goes beyond personal pride and speaks directly to the credibility of Ghana’s education system.
“It’s about protecting credibility, fairness, our international reputation as a country. And I just don’t understand why people are trying to defend this and why they are being so difficult and attacking GTEC simply for doing its job.
“What they are doing is not illegal. It is legal… and I feel that they are undermining Ghana’s education system,” she stated.
She warned of the dangers of allowing fake credentials to thrive, drawing attention to the devastating consequences of unqualified individuals practising in sensitive professions.
“We have fake doctors. I remember reading with horror a story about a doctor who was doing surgeries, and that doctor had zero medical qualifications, so they can kill people.
“You have people who are calling themselves teachers who can’t teach anybody, so you are jeopardising that child’s future,” she said.
Ms. Bright argued that such practices could ruin lives and erode national progress if not checked.
“So we just have to stop celebrating mediocrity. We have to stop it. And this culture of attacking people in this country who are trying to do the right thing has to stop.
“If we are serious about resetting our country, then everything that makes us look or that portrays us in a negative light has to be stopped. We’ve done this over and over and over again, year upon year, year upon year. It’s enough,” she declared.
Her message was unequivocal: only those who have earned titles should use them.
“If you are not a doctor, if you’re not a lawyer, if you’re not a professor, don’t call yourself that. If you want to do it, go through the process and earn it.”
Source: Abubakar Ibrahim
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