Now after naming and shaming we will take legal action against politicians using honorary doctorate titles — GTEC

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has issued a final warning to individuals using honorary doctorate and professorship titles in public, directing them to immediately discontinue the practice.

In a statement dated May 30, 2025, and signed by the Acting Deputy Director-General, Professor Augustine Ocloo, the Commission reaffirmed its earlier directive prohibiting the public use of honorary academic titles and called for strict compliance.

According to GTEC, the directive is targeted particularly at politicians, business executives and other public figures who routinely use honorary titles in official documents, public appearances and other professional engagements.

The Commission said the practice is misleading and unethical, arguing that it undermines the integrity of Ghana’s higher education system and diminishes the value of legitimately earned doctoral degrees and academic ranks.

GTEC warned that it would intensify enforcement of the directive by publicly identifying individuals who fail to comply and initiating legal proceedings against persistent offenders.

“The Commission would, from now onwards, in addition to naming and shaming of those individuals who be found to have flouted the GTEC directives, take legal action against them,” the statement said.

The Commission also appealed to institutions and the general public to support its efforts to uphold the credibility, integrity and standards of tertiary education in Ghana.