Following a petition and subsequent queries in relation to his use of the academic title “Dr,” the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has directed Kenneth Ashigbey, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, to immediately cease using the “Dr” title in all forms and representations.
According to GTEC, his Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) certificate from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) was “invalid.”
“You are further required to provide verifiable evidence that this title has been removed from the following (but not limited to): official documents, institutional or professional profiles, websites and digital platforms, letterheads, and any other public or professional materials,” a letter from GTEC dated October 10, 2025, addressed to Ken Ashigbey and signed by Prof. John Jinapor, the Director-General stated.
In the letter, GTEC cited multiple irregularities following a petition that challenged Ken Ashigbey’s use of the “Dr.” title.
The Commission said its evaluation of the documents submitted by Ken Ashigbey following a query revealed inconsistencies in the institution’s name, discrepancies in the issuance of the certificate and transcript, and academic irregularities in the programme structure.
According to GTEC, while the certificate was issued under the name Swiss Management Centre (SMC), the transcript referred to Swiss Management Centre (SMC) University and was issued after the certificate, contradicting the sequence of academic documentation.
The Commission further noted that the programme comprised only seven courses completed over nine years, with a total of 26.8 credit hours, far below the minimum requirement even for a bachelor’s degree.
The accompanying thesis, “Corporate Governance and Performance of State-Owned Enterprises in Ghana,” lacked a course code and used inconsistent grading metrics. GTEC also recalculated the reported GPA of 3.8 to approximately 3.51.
Again, the commission explained that the National Accreditation Board (NAB) had revoked recognition of SMC in August 2020, declaring that qualifications from the institution were no longer valid in Ghana.
Citing Section 7(i) of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), GTEC has therefore declared the doctorate invalid and instructed Ken Ashigbey to remove the “Dr.” title from all official and public platforms, including documents, websites, and professional profiles.
GTEC cautioned that failure to comply could attract legal action.
Who is Ken Ashigbey?
Kenneth Ashigbey, on June 1, 2025, started work as the Chief Executive of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, an advocacy wing for mining companies in Ghana.
Prior to that he was the Chief Executive of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, an industry association and a private initiative by the mobile network operators in Ghana, where he worked from 2017 till his exit in June 2025.
Before joining the Chamber of Telecommunications in 2017, he was the Managing Director at the Graphic Communications Group Ltd, where he served for six years from 2011.
Before then he was the Chief Operating Officer of the Multimedia Group Ltd. (Multi TV) between 2010 and 2011.
Earlier, between 2003 and 2006, he worked with the same Multimedia Group as Chief Technology Officer and the General Manager of Joy FM. In between the periods he worked for the Multimedia Group, he became the Managing Director of the Optimum Media Prime (OMP), a communications, independent media, and event management company.
He has also worked as the Senior Projects Engineer at Fanel Ltd.
He completed an MA in IT Law from the University of Ghana School of Law, a Master of Business Administration from Leicester University (UK) and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical/Electronic Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
He currently also leads the Media Coalition Against Galamsey as a convenor.
SMC University can’t enrol fresh students, NAB withdraws registration
It would be recalled that in August 2016, the then National Accreditation Board (NAB) now GTEC, withdrew the registration and accreditation for the Swiss Management Centre (SMC), a private university in Switzerland, which was then running courses in Ghana as a foreign university.
The NAB directed the SMC to stop enrolling new students.
It explained that the then continuing students could still proceed with completing their courses, as the NAB had maintained the registration of the SMC for such students in the preceding three years.
It was then explained that the credentials of graduates from the SMC who obtained their degrees during the period the NAB registered it were still valid; however, any fresh student who enrolled at the time of the withdrawal of the accreditation was going to receive an invalid certificate.
Around that time [August 2016], the Swiss Management Center said it was holding accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business, Schools and Programs (ACBSP) from 2007 to 2018.
Fake doctorates: Swiss university has accreditation – SMC Alumni
The development at the time coincided with discussions on unaccredited institutions that had been dishing out honorary doctorate degrees to some prominent Ghanaians and subsequent research work by two Ghanaian professors at Valdosta State University in USA.
Dr. Prosper Yao Tsikata and Dr. A. Kobla Dotse, in their research work titled “The Accreditation Challenges in Transnational Educational Ecology: The Ghanaian Experience,
An Investigative Report” undertook investigations into how prominent Ghanaians earn honorary doctorate degrees and concluded that many of the private universities dishing out the degrees were unaccredited.
They drew the attention of the Minister of Education to it, arguing that, given that the individuals permeate all sectors of Ghanaian society, the effects of the influence will have dire consequences for Ghana if their educational status is not checked and rectified.
However, the then alumni of SMC challenged the assertions by the Ghanaian professors from Valdosta State University in USA.
The alumni argued that SMC at the time had an international accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business, Schools, and Programs (ACBSP) and that the ACBSP was globally recognized.
Attached below is the details from the GTEC letter to Kenneth Ashigbey dated October 10, 2025
Dear Sir,
USE OF “DR” TITLE
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has received a petition relative to your use of the title “Dr.”.
Based on the petition, a simple check of your profile on google search revealed that you hold a PhD in Business Administration from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC).
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) subsequently contacted you for clarification and your position on this petition.
You indicated that you hold a Doctor of Business Administration from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) and that you had no control on what is said about you on the internet.
Additionally, you submitted to the Commission copies of your transcript and certificate as proof of your Doctoral Degree.
Sir, upon evaluating your certificate and transcript, the Commission observed the following concerns:
1. Inconsistent Institutional Naming:
– Your certificate is issued under the name Swiss Management Centre (SMC).
– Your transcript, however, bears the name Swiss Management Centre (SMC) University.
– A review of the institution’s official website as of 10th October, 2025 shows the institution is currently referred to as Swiss Management Centre, consistent with the certificate issued on 30th December, 2019.
2. Timing of Documentation:
– The transcript was issued on 15th January, 2020, after the certificate dated 30th December, 2019, yet it refers to the institution with the additional designation “University,” which was not reflected on the certificate.
3. Duration and Course Structure
– According to the transcript, you enrolled in the programme on 10th February, 2010 and graduated on 30th December, 2019 – a duration of nine (9) years.
- The programme lists only seven (7) courses completed over the entire period, which is atypical for a doctoral programme.
4. Lack of Academic Detailing
– The courses listed lack standard academic markers such as course codes, semester allocations, and follow an unconventional credit system (e.g., 3.7, 3.0 credit hours.
– The total cumulative credit hours amount to 26.8, which falls significantly short of the minimum standard for even a bachelor’s degree, let alone a doctoral programme.
5. Thesis Documentation Issues
– Your doctoral thesis, titled “Corporate Governance and Performance of State-owned Enterprises in Ghana, ” has no course code or assigned credit value.
– The grading scale used for the thesis is inconsistent with that used for the other courses.
6. Discrepancy in GPA Calculation
– Based on the transcript, a Cumulative GPA of 3.8 was indicated. However, GTEC’s own calculations, based on the grades and credit weights provided, resulted in a GPA of approximately 3.51.
7. Revocation of Recognition of SMC
– The erstwhile National Accreditation Board (NAB) issued a public notice on 24th August 2020, revoking recognition of Swiss Management Centre University. The notice explicitly declared that qualifications from this institution would no longer be recognized in Ghana and advised the public against enrolling in its programmes.
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 Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) deems your Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) certificate from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) invalid.
Accordingly, you are hereby directed to immediately cease the use of the title “Dr” in all forms and representations. You are further required to provide verifiable evidence 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 adhere to this directive may result in further regulatory or legal action as prescribed under Act 1023.Yours faithfully,
Prof Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai
Director-General
Source: Graphic.com.gh
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