Former government spokesperson has urged regulators to broaden their oversight beyond public officials, calling instead for scrutiny of religious figures who bear academic-sounding titles from unaccredited institutions.
Dr. Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, who previously served as Government Spokesperson on Governance and Security, on Tuesday criticized the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission’s (GTEC) recent actions against Deputy Health Minister Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah. Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily, Boakye-Danquah questioned why the Commission was focused on Ayensu-Danquah’s academic credentials while allowing what he described as widespread use of unaccredited titles in religious circles to go unchecked.
“GTEC should leave the Deputy Minister alone,” Boakye-Danquah said. “There are individuals who present themselves with titles—Reverend, Reverend Doctor—that are not backed by accredited theological institutions. If we are serious about sanitizing the space, we need to take a broader look at who is using what title and on what basis.”
The remarks come amid a public dispute between GTEC and Ayensu-Danquah, who currently serves as Deputy Minister for Health and Member of Parliament for Essikado-Ketan. The Commission recently rejected her claim to the academic rank of professor, asserting that she had failed to provide verifiable documentation supporting the title.
In a formal letter to the Chief of Staff, GTEC demanded evidence of her professorial appointment, setting a deadline of August 11. Ayensu-Danquah’s legal team, led by attorney David K. Ametefe, responded by citing her role as Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Utah, a U.S.-based institution. The legal team dismissed GTEC’s request as jurisdictionally overreaching and threatened legal action if the Commission did not retract its letter within 14 days.
While the controversy surrounding the Deputy Minister remains unresolved, Boakye-Danquah argued that the episode highlights a broader regulatory gap—particularly concerning theological institutions operating without accreditation, yet issuing certificates and conferring lofty academic titles.
“Many of these institutions are not under any formal scrutiny, yet their graduates go on to assume respected titles in public and private life,” he said. “GTEC has a mandate to enforce standards across the board—not just in politics but across all sectors.”
GTEC has not publicly responded to Boakye-Danquah’s remarks.
