The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has directed the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Kenneth Ashigbey, to immediately cease using the title “Dr.” after declaring his doctoral certificate from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) invalid.

In an official statement issued on Friday, October 10, 2025, and signed by its Director-General, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, GTEC stated that the directive followed an investigation into a petition questioning the legitimacy of Mr. Ashigbey’s Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree.

According to the Commission, a preliminary review confirmed that Mr. Ashigbey had obtained a DBA certificate from the Swiss Management Centre. Upon request, he submitted copies of his certificate and academic transcript to GTEC for verification.

However, discrepancies emerged during the review process. While the certificate was issued by Swiss Management Centre (SMC), the transcript referred to Swiss Management Centre University, a name not reflected on the certificate. GTEC noted this inconsistency as a red flag.

Further checks on the institution’s website, as of October 10, 2025, revealed that the school currently operates under the name Swiss Management Centre, without the “University” designation. This aligned with the certificate, dated December 30, 2019, but contradicted the transcript, which was issued on January 15, 2020 and bore the “University” label.

GTEC also raised concerns about the unusually extended duration of the programme. Records showed Mr. Ashigbey enrolled on February 10, 2010, and graduated almost nine years later, on December 30, 2019, a timeline the Commission found atypical for such a programme.

“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 GTEC deems your Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) certificate from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) invalid,” the statement read.

GTEC has therefore instructed Mr. Ashigbey to submit evidence that he has removed the “Dr.” title from all official materials, including documents, institutional profiles, websites, social media platforms, and letterheads.

The Commission stressed that while a comprehensive assessment of the case is ongoing, the directive is a necessary step to uphold academic integrity and prevent the recognition of unverified qualifications within Ghana’s educational and professional spaces.