Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, has hit back at the Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Prof Ahmed Jinapor, over the ongoing controversy surrounding her use of the title Professor.

In an interview on CTV on Monday, August 18, 2025, Dr Ayensu-Danquah described the debate as a deliberate attempt by some individuals to tarnish her reputation.

“My question is, as a state regulator, are we going to settle the matter on social media?

Shouldn’t we be going through due process instead of debating it online?” she asked.

Dr Ayensu-Danquah insisted she legitimately earned her title as Professor of Surgery, explaining that she heads the Department of Global Surgery at a campus in Utah but chose to remain in Ghana to serve her people.

“I earned my professor of surgery title long ago. I have a campus in Utah, where I head the global surgery department.

But I prefer to be here to help my people; that is why I’m here and not in the classroom every day,” she said.

She added that, beyond her international role, she is actively engaged in Ghana’s medical training and research.

“I manage a residency programme here in Ghana, and I’m also leading public health research in areas such as breast cancer, quality assurance, and surgical care improvement,” she noted.

Dr Ayensu-Danquah further threw a challenge to the GTEC boss: “Let him bring his CV, and let’s compare.”