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Deputy Chief Executive of Operations at the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Prof. Michael Ayamga-Adongo, has criticised the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), accusing it of overstepping its mandate and behaving like “headmasters of tertiary education” instead of focusing on its core duty of ensuring quality in higher education.
Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, August 19, Prof. Ayamga-Adongo argued that the Commission has shifted from quality assurance to policing individuals, while continuing to accredit universities that lack the basic facilities to deliver proper academic training.
According to him, GTEC’s handling of its recent case involving a deputy minister was an example of unacceptable “name and shame” tactics.
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“I think that GTEC is overreaching. They are becoming like headmasters of tertiary education in this country and leaving their core mandate, which is regulating the quality of tertiary institutions. In the case of the Deputy Minister, it’s clear this is more about naming and shaming,” he said.
Prof. Ayamga-Adongo further criticised the Commission for accrediting poorly resourced universities, describing some of the facilities he has seen as “sickening.” He stressed that the proliferation of fake and substandard degrees in Ghana can be traced back to GTEC’s failure to strictly enforce standards.
“The reason we have fake and bad degrees is because very poorly equipped institutions are being accredited by GTEC. Their mandate should be to ensure universities are properly resourced to deliver quality education, not to leave us with certificates without substance,” he added.
His remarks come amid a growing dispute between GTEC and Deputy Health Minister and Essikadu-Ketan MP, Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, over her academic credentials.
The Commission has challenged her use of the title “Professor,” requesting proof of her professorial appointment by August 11, 2025. Dr. Ayensu-Danquah’s lawyers, led by David K. Ametefe, responded on August 8, insisting that she had been appointed an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Utah in the United States.
They further argued that GTEC has no authority to demand validation of academic appointments made outside Ghana, and warned that if the Commission does not retract its position within 14 days, they will seek legal redress to protect her reputation.
Story By: Afia Ohenewaa Akyerem