The rush to get honorary degrees as a stamp of achievement is nothing new, encompassing an entire population obsessed with paper degrees, from our President down to the anybody with even the tiniest exposure in the public sphere.
It has always been a nonsensical mindset, considering getting honorary degrees are as easy as how much money you are willing to pay. Several reports in the past have shown how unaccredited universities hand degrees to our public figures who are just eager to collect them.
A paper published by researchers at the Valdosta State University in the United States looked at this rampant problem in Ghanaian society to fish out prominent Ghanaians who have been awarded such degrees by bogus universities in the US and worldwide.
They found a disturbing number of prominent Ghanaians receiving such degrees, degrees that can only be described as fake as neither the National Accreditation Board in Ghana or the respective accreditation board in the country of origin have sanctioned them to give out such honours.
Some insitutions who have honoured prominent Ghanaians without the accreditation to do so includes the Atlantic International University in Honolulu, Hawaii, Dayspring Christian University in Mississippi, Almeda College in Georgia and the Swiss Management Centre in Zurich.
“The report indicates that some of the institutions in question are in breach of the NAB’s instrument of authority, while others have acquired NAB’s accreditation under questionable arrangements.” Researchers Prosper Yao Tsikata and A. Kobla Dotse wrote.
“The report further indicates that two categories of individuals are identifiable in these accreditation controversies. While one group views higher academic qualifications as career tools, the other considers these awards as status symbols for self-actualization and a seal for the legitimization of their place of honor in the public’s eye. An uncritical-propaganda dogged media coupled with an unquestioning public continues to fuel the practice.”
Some Ghanaians caught in the web include APC flagbearer Hassan Ayariga, Oheneyere Gifty Anti, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) John Kudalor, former Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah, NDC Chairman Kofi Portuphy, Former Transport Minister Dzifa Attivor and several others.
Read the entire document here…
The Acreditation Challenges_Full Paper