GTEC questions GUTA president’s use of “Dr.” title

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has asked Dr. Joseph Obeng, President of the Ghana Union of Traders Associations (GUTA), to provide proof of how he received his “Dr.” title.

In a letter dated May 14, 2025, signed by GTEC’s Deputy Director-General, Prof. Augustine Ocloo, the Commission requested information about the time, process, and institution through which Dr. Obeng obtained his doctorate.

“The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission has noted your continuous use of the title ‘doctor’, i.e., Dr. Joseph Obeng. The Commission would like to know the process, the time, and which institution awarded you the doctorate title,” part of the letter reads.

GTEC explained that it is increasingly concerned about how many individuals are publicly using honorary doctorate titles without proper clarification. The Commission believes this practice goes against ethical standards and the laws that regulate higher education in Ghana.

“For clarity, the Commission expresses its deep concern regarding the increasing prevalence of honorary doctorates such as yours that are conferred upon individuals by various institutions, both in Ghana and abroad. The appropriation of these honorary titles, of any recipient, name is deemed unethical and contravenes several provisions of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), as well as other pertinent laws governing higher education in Ghana,” the letter said.

GTEC has therefore advised Dr. Obeng to stop using the title “Dr.” unless he can provide proof that he earned it from a recognized academic institution.

“In light of this, the Commission requests that you exercise personal responsibility regarding this issue and refrain from using the honorary title ‘doctor’ – Dr – as part of your name. Please be informed that should the directive from the Commission be disregarded, the Commission reserves the right to invoke its regulatory functions to sanction you,” Prof. Ocloo warned.

When 3news reached out to Dr. Obeng for his reaction to the letter, he said, “I will respond appropriately.”