The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), currently on a national campaign to prevent the use of unearned academic titles in Ghana and enforce the law on the abuse, has concluded that the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah does not hold the academic title “Professor in any capacity”.
GTEC has consequently written to the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, as her employer, to ensure that she ceases presenting herself as such.
GTEC has also threatened that, should Dr Ayensu-Danquah continue to use the title “Professor”, the Commission may be compelled to pursue legal action on grounds of public deception.
This was contained in a letter dated August 12, 2025, from GTEC, addressed to the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, a copy of which has been sighted by Graphic Online.
The first correspondence was in a letter dated August 4, 2025, from GTEC to Dr. Ayensu-Danquah, with the Chief of Staff and Clerk of Parliament copied.
In that letter, reference was made to a personal interaction between the Board Chairman of GTEC and Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah regarding her use of the academic title “Professor.”
In the said letter, the Commission requested Dr Ayensu-Danquah to provide verifiable evidence of her appointment to the rank of Professor with a deadline of August 11, 2025.
Subsequently, on August 8, 2025, solicitors for Dr. Ayensu-Danquah, represented by David K. Ametefe, responded to the Commission.
In their correspondence, they stated that Dr. Ayensu-Danquah had been appointed as an Assistant Professor of Surgery by the University of Utah, USA.
They also questioned the authority of GTEC to request such evidence, given that the appointment was made outside the jurisdiction of Ghana.
According to GTEC, “instead of documentary evidence of a Professorial appointment, the solicitors submitted a letter from the University of Utah, signed by Prof. W. Bradford Rockwell, Vice Chair for Academic Affairs of the Department of Surgery, dated August 7, 2025.
And that letter, a copy of which has also been sighted by Graphic Online, indicated that Dr. Ayensu-Danquah was appointed as an Adjunct Assistant Professor.
“Sir, the Commission wishes to clarify the following key points:
1. Contrary to the assertion in the letter from her solicitors, Dr. Ayensu-Danquah was not appointed as an Assistant Professor but as an Adjunct Assistant Professor, as clearly stated in the letter from the University of Utah. The omission of the word “Adjunct” by her legal representatives is both misleading and troubling.
2. According to the letter from Dr. Rockwell, the position of Adjunct Assistant Professor is not a tenure-track role. He further explains that academic position titles used by the University of Utah may not directly correspond to those within Ghana’s academic framework.
3. For clarity, within the context of Ghanaian higher education, an Adjunct Assistant Professor is roughly equivalent to a Part-time Lecturer, and not even comparable to the rank of Senior Lecturer, let alone Professor,” the letter stated.
4. GTEC indicated that it was based on the above that the Commission has concluded that Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah does not hold the title of Professor in any capacity.
“We therefore respectfully call on you, her employer, to ensure that she ceases presenting herself as such. Should Dr. Ayensu-Danquah continue to use the title “Professor”, the Commission may be compelled to pursue legal action on grounds of public deception,” the GTEC letter signed Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai as Director-General added.
Dear Madam,
REQUEST FOR DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE OF ACADEMIC TITLE (PROFESSOR)
We refer to your recent engagement with the Chairman of the Board of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), during which preliminary discussions were held concerning the basis on which you currently bear the title of “Professor.”
Following this engagement, the Commission is formally requesting that you submit official documentary evidence of your appointment or promotion to the rank of Associate Professor or Professor through a recognized academic process.
For the avoidance of doubt, GTEC is deeply concerned about the inappropriate use of academic titles that have not been duly earned or conferred by accredited academic institutions. The use of such titles – especially where they lack formal academic validation-is misleading and contrary to the established academic protocols and standards governing the conferment and usage of academic ranks in Ghana.
Hon. for your information and guidance, the standard academic progression in Ghana follows this
sequence: Lecturer → Senior Lecturer → Associate Professor → Professor
It is acknowledged that in some countries, such as the United States, academic titles may be used more informally, and many teaching staff may be referred to as “Professor” regardless of their official rank.
However, such informal conventions do not align with the formal academic ranking system recognized and upheld in Ghana.
In light of the above, the Commission respectfully requests that you provide the following documentation by 11th August, 2025:
- A formal letter of appointment or promotion to the rank of Associate Professor or Professor from a recognized academic institution; and
- Evidence clearly indicating the awarding authority and the effective date of the title.
Should you be unable to provide the required documentation, you are required to immediately cease the use of the title “Professor.”
Furthermore, you must provide verifiable evidence confirming the withdrawal of the title from all relevant platforms, including but not limited to:
- Official documents
- Institutional profiles
- Letterheads
- Any other public or professional representations
In accordance with GTEC’s mandate to uphold academic integrity within Ghana’s higher education system, please be advised that until the requested documentation is received and verified, you are not to use the title “Professor” in any institutional, professional, or public capacity.
Please note that this correspondence is being copied to your employer, through the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Republic of Ghana.
Additionally, the Clerk of Parliament of the Republic of Ghana, in view of your role as the Member of Parliament for the Essikado-Ketan Constituency, has also been copied for appropriate action.
The Commission expects your full cooperation. Please be advised that failure to comply with this directive
may result in the application of appropriate sanctions.
Also attached below is a copy of the letter from the University of Utah, signed by Prof. W. Bradford Rockwell, Vice Chair for Academic Affairs of the Department of Surgery, dated August 7, 2025.
Dear Sir/Madam.
Grace Ayensu-Danquah, MD is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah.
Ghanaian cultural tours
Her important academic contributions are organized through the Center for Global Surgery, a component of the Surgery Department.
Being the Vice Chair for Academic Affairs for the Surgery Department, I oversee academic appointments and promotions. Being an honorary member of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons and the West African College of Surgeons, I have some basic knowledge of academic appointments in Ghana.
Our academic position nomenclature does not exactly translate to comparable academic positions in Ghana. The different tracks give some information on a faculty member’s academic work. Tenure track applies to faculty members with clinical and significant research/administrative duties. Clinical track signifies significant clinical duties with some research/administrative/teaching duties.
Research track is for research faculty, most of whom are PhD. Adjunct track identifies faculty who work in other departments, other schools, or other countries, but contribute to the University of Utah Department of Surgery through clinical, research teaching or administrative duties. Adjunct faculty are important contributors to the academic mission.
Sincerely yours,
Attached below is a copy of the letter from the solicitors for Dr Ayensu-Danquah dated August 8, 2025, responding to the GTEC letter dated August 4, 2025
Dear Sir,
RE : REQUEST FOR DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE OF ACADEMIC TITLE (PROFESSOR)
Your letter titled above, dated 4th August, 2025, and referenced as AC81/0/01, has been referred to us by our client Honourable Dr. Grace Ayensu Danquah, Member of Parliament for Essikado-Ketan and Deputy Minister of Health.
Our instructions are to respond to your said letter which we hereby do as follows:
- that our client was appointed an Assistant Professor of Surgery by the University of Utah in the United States of America, evidenced by the letter dated August 7, 2025 (a copy is hereto attached for your information);
- that our client has nowhere made a claim that she had earned her professorship from a university or any institution
of higher learning in Ghana, which would require your acclaimed Ghanaian criteria to apply; - that our client is not aware that a professorship conferred by a foreign institution of higher learning needs accreditation in
Ghana to be valid or used;
- that the law applicable to that of an academic title is the law of the place of conferment, and not Ghanaian law as you assert;
- that the request to our client from GTEC is utterly without basis, and is intended only for public gallery;
- that it appears GTEC is overstepping its authority and appropriate functions under the law creating it, for what appears to be a purely political purpose, i.e., to cause unjustified embarrassment to Dr. Ayensu Danquah;
- that the tone of your letter is inappropriately condescending toward an elected Member of Parliament and Deputy Minister of Health, who is a person of extraordinary academic and medical qualifications;
- that it is curious that your letter, rather than focus on Dr. Ayensu Danquah’s formidable credentials and experience for
her important duties in support of the Ghanian people and the Ghanian healthcare system, instead focuses on the use
of the academic title “professor,” which was conferred by a highly regarded American University and has no bearing
whatsoever on Dr. Ayensu Danquah’s ability to perform her public duties;
- that while your letter acknowledges that the use of academic titles differs by country, hopefully you are not seeking to assert that such titles require accreditation, reevaluation, or regulatory approval by your office.
In general, we find your letter to be an unjustified attempt to intimidate our client and to publicly distract others from her
accomplishments. Rather than be subjected to your criticisms and petty wordsmithing, she should be praised for voluntarily
deploying her remarkable education and professional experience in the service of her fellow citizens of Ghana.
It is our hope that you would exhibit some moderation in your future conduct towards her and in your exercise of your statutory
authority.
We hope the information provided herein by our client, through us, satisfies your request. Please note that this correspondence is being copied to each recipient of your letter of 4th August to Dr. Ayensu Danquah.
Yours faithfully,
David K. Ametepe, Esq.
Writer’s email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh
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