The Acting Deputy Director-General of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), Justice Ray Achoanya Ayam, has withdrawn his earlier threat to disregard a directive from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) over his use of an “invalid” doctoral title. He now says he fully accepts the regulator’s position and will comply with all instructions issued.
GTEC as part of the campaign to ensure academic integrity in a letter dated November 10, 2025, reached out to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) under the Ministry of Education, where the acting Deputy Director-General, Justice Ray Achoanya Ayam, was directed to stop using an “invalid Dr” title obtained from the Swiss Management Center (SMC) University from Switzerland.
The November 10, 2025, letter was a follow-up to earlier engagements with Mr Ayam on the said certificate from SMC.
GTEC had demanded a copy of his certificate and transcripts, and after a review, concluded that there were discrepancies and irregularities in the certificate and transcript from SMC.
It said apart from the fact that the “Doctorate of Business Administration” certificate had no accreditation and therefore was not recognised by GTEC, the nature of the degree awarded, from the certificate he presented to GTEC, indicated a “Doctorate of Business Administration”.
GTEC noted that formulation differs from the conventional designation “Doctor of …” which is typically used for doctoral-level awards.
The commission also observed an inconsistency between the awarding institution and the issuing body. While the certificate bears the name Swiss Management Centre, the accompanying transcript is issued by SMC University, though both are dated June 22, 2018.
In a letter dated November 17, 2025 — sighted by Graphic Online — Mr Ayam said he was retracting the strong stance he took days earlier when he insisted he would continue using the title “Dr” awarded by the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) University unless a court ruled otherwise.
“I wish to respectfully retract my earlier position conveyed in prior correspondence regarding the continued use of the title ‘Dr.’ until a court of competent jurisdiction rules otherwise,” he stated, adding that his intention “was never to disregard regulatory authority or create misunderstanding in the public domain.”
GTEC had earlier declared qualifications from SMC University as invalid in Ghana, warning public officials and institutions against recognising such titles. Mr Ayam’s initial defiance generated public criticism, especially because he serves in a senior capacity under the Ministry of Education.
In the apology letter, he acknowledged the concerns raised by stakeholders and committed to adhering strictly to the regulator’s directives.
He explained that he regretted any confusion or inconvenience his earlier comments may have caused and reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining professional standards.
“I fully agree to comply with all regulatory directives as communicated,” he added.
The correspondence was copied to the Minister of Education, the Chief Director of the Ministry, the Deputy Minister for Education, the Board Chair of NaCCA, the Director-General of NaCCA, and the Director-General of GTEC — signalling the seriousness with which the matter has been handled.
About the Author
