Professor Mohammed Salifu, Director-General, Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), has warned that persons who operate tertiary institutions without accreditation from the Commission will face a 15 to 20-year jail term or a GHS10000 to GHS20000 fine.
He also advised the public to verify from the Commission the status of private tertiary institutions, thus, whether they were accredited or not, before they enrolled in them.
Professor Salifu made these remarks on the sidelines of GTEC’s engagement with the media in Accra.
The meeting was to provide a platform for the Media to know about the Commission and its operations.
The Director-General said the Commission per its mandate in Act 1023 was empowered to regulate tertiary education in the country.
“We are mandated to regulate tertiary education in all its forms with a view to promote efficient and effective management, provision of consistent quality of service, advancement and application of knowledge and development of appropriate human capital,” he stressed.
Professor Salifu said persons who were using fake titles and qualifications where likely to face jail term or a fine penalty.
He said such persons would be deemed to have committed an offence and would serve the penalties therein in accordance with the law.
“It is a very painstaking process to acquire such qualifications; therefore, we would not allow some persons to devalue them. The provisions of the law requires us to protect those qualifications,” he added.
Professor Salifu also called on institutions that awarded honorary doctorate degrees to let the awardees know the difference between an honorary and research doctorate.
He said this would let the honorees know when and how to use their doctoral titles appropriately.
The Director-General entreated the Media to collaborate with the Commission, especially in helping them identify persons who operated institutions without accreditation.
“Collectively, we need to protect the public interest and the integrity and prestige of our Tertiary Education system and qualifications awarded,” he stressed.
He advised the media to be vigilant and request certificates and authorization of individuals before allowing them advertise on their platforms.
The National Council for Tertiary Education and the National Accreditation Board have been merged under the new Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023) to form the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission.
The Act was given a Presidential Assent on August 21, 2020, paving way for the Governing Board to be appointed and inaugurated on November 25, 2020.
