Of Fake Doctorates, Important Personalities

Last week featured a worrying news item about doctorate degrees bestowed strangely upon important personalities in the Ghanaian society by unaccredited universities.

Ordinarily, such a news item would not raise eyebrows were the degrees given to persons whose names do not ring a bell. Not so, however, when the recipients are top personalities such as the man in charge of law enforcement personnel in the country and the clergy.

Even surprising is the fact that the National Accreditation Board (NAB) warned the chief constable not to receive the doctorate degree because it was a worthless offer. He ignored the good counsel and proceeded to the US to receive what has become an unnecessary albatross around his neck. Today when his name is mentioned, cynics remember the worthless honour.

We have learnt that his predecessor listened to the counsel of NAB and turned down the so-called doctorate degree.

Persons who hold important positions in state institutions are role models to the young generations: their images and words in the media serving as motivation to these young fellows.

When therefore they act negatively knowingly, they confuse such persons who wonder whether they were wrong in looking up to them as their role models.

Apart from performing their statutory duties, such persons as the IGP and others should avoid actions which could impact negatively on their reputation.

Turning to NAB, we ask that they do more regarding the proliferation of degrees which are worthless and so create a widespread reduction in the deference of academic and honorary qualifications.

If we do not watch it and take the necessary action, we would earn notoriety for going after unrecognized and undeserved qualifications as a people.

The appetite for doctorate degrees by pastors and founders of churches is overwhelming; most men of God who have established their own churches hold doctorates. With the belated insight given by NAB, there is no doubt that when the floodlights are turned on these qualifications, the outcome would be amazing.

Shouldn't that be? We think it should be because such deceitful persons should be exposed so people can take their own decisions about them.

Society should be rid of charlatans who present deceitful images of themselves as a means of winning more people to their side.

The proliferation of quack medical doctors of late has a certain correlation with the fake doctorate degree syndrome: both are festering because of a lax system of inspecting qualifications.

NAB needs the necessary resources to do its work. We are glad that it has opened our eyes about the worthless doctorates.

If the phenomenon of fake doctorates continues, we would advise that the naming-and-shaming mechanism be applied.

The repercussions of learning that the man of God leading the church one attends holds a doctorate bestowed by either a non-existent university or an unaccredited one, can turn away many members of the congregation. Deceit and divinity are incompatible.