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Former Deputy Minister of State at the Presidency, Victoria Bright, has backed the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), dismissing claims that the regulator is engaging in a witch-hunt in its recent enforcement of academic titles.
Her comments follow the standoff between GTEC and Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, over the latter’s use of the title “Professor.” GTEC’s Director-General, Professor Ahmed Abdulai Jinapor, has already rejected a two-week ultimatum issued by Dr. Ayensu-Danquah’s lawyers, insisting that her claims to the academic rank are inconsistent and lack supporting evidence.
Speaking on the matter, Victoria Bright said GTEC was acting within the law and fulfilling its mandate to protect the integrity of Ghana’s education system.
According to her, the issue was not about personalities but about safeguarding credibility, fairness, and Ghana’s international reputation.
“What GTEC is doing is not a witch hunt and I don’t understand why people are portraying it as such and calling themselves victims, how are you a victim? If you have the degree, just produce it, end of story. I don’t understand.
“It’s about protecting credibility, fairness, our international reputation as a country. And I just don’t understand why people are trying to defend this and why they are being so difficult and attacking GTEC simply for doing its job. What they are doing is not illegal. It is legal and I feel that they are undermining Ghana’s education system.” She stated.
She warned against the dangers of academic fraud, citing past reports of unqualified individuals posing as doctors and teachers.
“We have fake doctors. I remember reading with horror a story about a doctor who was doing surgeries, and that doctor had zero medical qualifications, so they can kill people.
“You have people who are calling themselves teachers, who can’t teach anybody, so you are jeopardising that child’s future, so we just have to stop celebrating mediocrity. We have to stop it. And this culture of attacking people in this country who are trying to do the right thing has to stop.”
Victoria Bright, further called for an end to what she described as Ghana’s culture of celebrating mediocrity and attacking institutions that seek to enforce standards.
“If we are serious about resetting our country, then everything that makes us look or that portrays us in a negative light has to be stopped. We’ve done this over and over and over again, year upon year, year upon year. It’s enough.
“If you are not a doctor, if you’re not a lawyer, if you’re not a professor, don’t call yourself that. If you want to do it, go through the process.” She stated.
Source: Elvisanokyenews.net
