Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor, Desmond De-Graft Paitoo and Adom-Frimpong
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has extended its ongoing campaign to clamp down on the misuse of unearned academic titles to include members of Ghana’s Parliament, according to a graphiconline.com report.
As of Monday, June 16, 2025, two Members of Parliament and a prominent public official have received official notices from the Commission, urging them to stop using honorary academic titles without proper academic justification.
The report detailed that GTEC has formally written to Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor, the Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, and Desmond De-Graft Paitoo, the MP for Gomoa East both representing constituencies in the Central Region.
These correspondences instructed them to cease the use of the title “Doctor” (Dr) in all official and public communications due to the absence of verifiable academic credentials supporting its use.
According to GTEC, the indiscriminate use of such titles particularly when based on honorary awards rather than academic achievement is misleading and conflicts with Ghana’s educational regulations, especially under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023).
The Commission views the growing trend of using unearned academic titles as unethical and a threat to academic integrity.
In a letter dated June 16, 2025, addressed to Naa Koryoo Okunor, who also serves on the board of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), GTEC instructed her to remove the “Dr” title from all public and professional platforms.
These include official documents, institutional websites, letterheads, and public profiles. She has been asked to provide evidence of compliance promptly.
Similarly, in a letter dated June 3, 2025, Desmond De-Graft Paitoo was directed to provide clarification on the origin of his doctoral title.
GTEC demanded he disclose whether the title was earned or honorary, name the awarding institution, and outline the conferment process.
Until such documentation is provided, he has been ordered to stop using the “Dr” title.
GTEC warned that failure to comply could result in sanctions, as empowered by its regulatory authority, with a deadline for response set for June 30, 2025.
In addition to the MPs, GTEC also raised concerns about the use of the title “Professor” by Kwame Adom-Frimpong, a board member of the Internal Audit Agency.
In a letter dated June 16, 2025, the Commission stated that unless he can provide a formal appointment or promotion letter from a recognized academic institution confirming his professorial status, he must stop referring to himself as “Prof. Kwame Adom-Frimpong.”
The Commission emphasised that the use of academic ranks such as “Professor” must align with recognized academic protocols.
GTEC requested Adom-Frimpong to submit official documentation verifying his appointment and to remove the title from all professional and public platforms, including institutional documents, websites, and communication materials.
AM/KA
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