The Director- General of the Ghana Technical Education Commission (GTEC), Professor Mohammed Salifu has warned persons who use honorary titles such as doctor, professor, emeritus and many others can be jailed.
According to him, these titles are hard-earned so those persons in society whose work and contribution to nation building has won them honorary doctorate titles must at all times protect and not abuse them because one is liable to a jail term of not less than two years imprisonment.
Prof. Salifu again warned tertiary institutions who operate without accreditation and end up giving these titles to pastors, businessmen, imams and influential people in society must stop or immediately seek accreditation to avoid closure.
He made this known at the maiden edition of media sensitization seminar organized by the GTEC in Accra on Thursday June 9, 2022.
Prof. Salifu said the objectives of the Commission are to regulate tertiary education in all forms with a view to promote efficient and effective administration and accreditation of tertiary education institutions, provision of consistent quality of service by tertiary education institutions, advancement and application of knowledge through teaching, scholarly research and collaboration with industry and public sector and develop appropriate human capital for the sustainable advancement of the national economy.
“It is only the commission that can accredit institutions and programmes so the titles can only be authenticated by GTEC and no other.”
“We own the titles and by law we must defend the integrity of those titles and we are by law mandated to accredit those titles. So, if you recklessly use the titles without merit, you can go to jail,” Prof. Salifu warned.
He revealed that the Commission whose mandate includes regulating tertiary education in all its form has come at a time when some institutions are engaging in acts that contravenes the regulations of GTEC, hence they coming into stream of the Commission to deal with those violating the regulations.
“We need to protect the integrity and qualifications of our tertiary institutions and the certificates they award,” Prof. Salifu emphasized.
He therefore cautioned all persons recklessly using unmerited titles and tertiary institutions which are running unaccredited programs and awarding unaccredited certificates to eschew that act as the Commission will come after them and sanction them as spelt out under the act, Act 1023.
The Director General acknowledged the media is an important stakeholder as far as education is concerned, later revealed the mandates of GTEC including Provision of consistent quality of service, advancement and application of knowledge, efficient and effective management and development of appropriate human capital.
Prof. Salifu later appealed to the media to support the Commission to achieve its mandates which he said include flushing out all unaccredited institutions who are milking students in the name of tertiary education.
On his part, the Board Chairman of GTEC, Prof. Kwame Boafo Arthur revealed that the National Accreditation Board has merged with the Tertiary Education Council to form GTEC due to the duplication and overlapping of responsibilities and function
He said the meeting with the media was important as it affords the media the opportunity to be informed and educated on the mandates and aspirations of the GTEC.
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