Photo: Prof. Ahmed Jinapor, the Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC)
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has sparked intense debate by launching a very public crusade: verifying the academic titles of individuals who appear in the media identifying as “Dr”, “Prof”, or “Engineer”.
At first glance, this might look like an effort to uphold academic integrity. But beneath the surface, troubling questions loom. What’s GTEC really trying to fix? Is this about academic credibility or just a misplaced performance of regulatory power?
ACCOUNTABILITY OR PUBLIC SHAMING?
GTEC’s method — which often involves media commentary, social media probes, and public callouts — feels less like responsible oversight and more like trial by public opinion. Since when did a statutory body become an enforcer of how people are introduced on TV or radio?
Yes, impersonation is a crime. But what of self-styling? Must every person who calls themselves “Dr” in a public forum be investigated? What about performers, pastors, or personalities using long-accepted honorifics as part of their public identity?
This is not just about credentials — it’s about the creeping culture of surveillance and shame.
WHERE IS THE PRIVACY AND DUE PROCESS?
GTEC’s public verifications may well run afoul of Ghana’s Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), which demands lawful, fair, and non-intrusive collection and processing of personal data. Is the Commission obtaining consent from those it scrutinises? How is this data stored? Are individuals being given the right to respond before their reputations are questioned?
When a state regulator begins to collect, expose, or implicitly question the credentials of private citizens on public platforms, a red line is crossed.
WHAT PROBLEM IS GTEC TRYING TO SOLVE?
At the heart of this is a simple question: What public harm does GTEC seek to address? Will policing titles:
• Improve university infrastructure?
• Fix the misalignment between academic output and job market needs?
• Solve the chronic underfunding of tertiary institutions?
• Reduce graduate unemployment?
Unlikely.
This feels more like a distraction — a performance of accountability, rather than substance. GTEC owes the public a clear justification: what measurable outcome will this campaign produce?
IS SELF-STYLING NOW A CRIME?
Ghana has a long tradition of affectionate or honorary titles being used outside formal academic circles:
• “Professor Azumah Nelson” — revered in boxing, not academia.
• “Professor Kofi Abraham” — gospel legend.
• “Dr Paa Bobo” — a musical icon, not a medical doctor.
No one ever demanded transcripts from them. So why now?
If the concern is public deception, are we also going to scrutinise:
• “Bishop Dr” titles in churches?
• “Apostle Professor” on revival flyers?
• “Reverend Doctors” on billboards?
Or is this crackdown selective, targeting only secular voices in mainstream media?
MISPLACED PRIORITIES IN A SECTOR CRYING FOR REFORM
GTEC should be at the forefront of solving some of the most pressing challenges in education:
• Universities are crumbling under financial strain.
• Lecture halls are overcrowded and under-resourced.
• Curricula are stuck in the past.
• Private tertiary institutions are struggling for accreditation clarity.
• Mismatches between graduate skills and national development plans.
Instead, the regulator has decided to fixate on how people are introduced in interviews. If anything screams “misplaced priority,” this does.
WHAT’S THE ENDGAME? A NATIONAL TITLE REGISTRY?
Will GTEC soon introduce a national title registry? Will producers of talk shows be required to vet all guests through the Commission before they appear on air?
What are the legal or disciplinary consequences if someone continues using a title GTEC hasn’t verified? Is there a law they are breaking — or just GTEC’s own arbitrary standards?
REGULATION OR THEATRE?
GTEC must resist the temptation to act as a referee of public salutations while the system it oversees buckles. If the goal is to protect academic integrity, then start with institutions that grant dubious honorary degrees, not those who bear them. If the aim is to protect the public from fraud, then prosecute impersonation, not branding.
But if the intent is merely to “clean up” how people sound on the airwaves, GTEC may soon find itself overstepping its role and under-delivering on its mandate.
CONCLUSION: FOCUS ON THE FUNDAMENTALS
Ghana doesn’t need a title police. It needs an education regulator willing to confront real problems: funding, reform, access, quality, and innovation.
Until then, this campaign will remain what it looks like — a noisy distraction from the work that truly matters.
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