Deputy Director of Elections and IT for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and acting CEO of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer, has responded to questions about the legitimacy of his academic qualifications following recent public doubts.
Speaking on JoyPrime’s Prime Morning Show, he dismissed accusations challenging his credibility and reiterated his background as a seasoned lecturer.
“I am a lecturer and I have taught students for a very long time. Matters like this, when you give them attention, I cannot respond to people like that,” he said. “My students have never failed. I don’t give credibility to people like that.”
He stated that he earned his PhD from Kingsnow University, an online institution, enrolling in 2012 and completing the programme in 2016.
“I think I have to go back to the classroom and teach some people sense in education,” he added.
However, inconsistencies have emerged regarding his academic claims. On 11 December 2016, Mr Computer made a Facebook post thanking “God and one Professor Alex” for conferring upon him a PhD in Public Administration from Kingsnow University – a detail that appears to differ from earlier statements about his qualification.
The controversy surrounding Mr Computer’s credentials follows a similar incident involving one Dr Sansa Daly, who was recently accused of falsely claiming to be a medical doctor after asserting she graduated from a top university in the United States.
The public, particularly users on Facebook, have demanded thorough verification to confirm the legitimacy of such claims.
In response to critics on social media, particularly from one Sir Obama Pokuase, a known NPP sympathiser, questioning his credibility, Mr Computer remarked: “So his [Sir Obama Pokuase’s] government was in power for eight years, and at that time, was he sleeping or was he in Jamaica? He didn’t know this, and I worked under them for eight years. I don’t respond to “idiots”, that’s why I don’t know him.”
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), has in recent times raised concerns about the use of fake academic titles. While Mr Tanko maintains that his degree is genuine, questions remain about the accreditation status of Kinsnow University, which some critics argue is not recognised to offer such qualifications.
According to GTEC, the misuse of honorary titles contravenes the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023) and damages public confidence in the country’s educational system.
The Commission stressed that only accredited institutions are permitted to award honorary degrees, and recipients should not present them as academic qualifications.
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