The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has reiterated its stance that Joseph Obeng, President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), must cease using the title “Dr.” despite holding an honorary doctorate.
Speaking on the matter on the Channel One Newsroom on Thursday, May 22, Deputy Director General of GTEC, Prof. Augustine Ocloo, stated that the Commission had not received any formal clarification from Obeng regarding his academic credentials.
However, GTEC maintains that honorary degrees do not qualify recipients to use the “Dr.” title in an academic or professional capacity.
“We are aware that it was an honorary doctorate degree that was conferred on him by one of the private university colleges in Kumasi, and as we are saying, we have to have a system where titles are respected,” Prof. Ocloo explained.
He emphasised that while honorary degrees are a form of recognition, they do not equate to an earned academic qualification.
“If you’ve earned it, it is an academic title that you have earned, then use it. But if it is not an academic title that you have earned, then don’t use it,” he stated.
GTEC had previously issued a cautionary letter to Obeng on May 14, 2025, requesting details about the awarding institution, the conferral process, and the date of the honorary degree. The Commission argued that the use of honorary doctorates as formal titles is unethical and contravenes the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023).
Despite backlash from GUTA, which described GTEC’s action as a “malicious attempt” to tarnish Obeng’s reputation, Prof. Ocloo insisted that the directive applies not only to Obeng but to all individuals using unearned titles.
“We expect him to stop using the title—that is all. We don’t actually expect clarification from him because we have done our work, and we know that it is an honorary doctorate. Not only him, but from all the people using titles,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, GUTA has defended Obeng’s honorary doctorate, awarded by Alpha International Theological Seminary in 2016, as a legitimate recognition of his contributions to Ghana’s economic development and private sector advocacy. The association has called on GTEC to withdraw its cautionary letter and issue a public apology.
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