The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has with immediate effect revoked the recognition granted to the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG), over concerns surrounding the continued use of an academic title by its Chief Executive Officer, Eric Oduro Osae, which the Commission says has not been legitimately obtained.

In a letter dated January 8, 2026, and signed by GTEC’s Director-General, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, the Commission instructed ICAG to halt operations as a recognised professional body. It further stated that any certificates issued by the Institute from that date onward would not be recognised.

GTEC explained that the action was taken due to what it described as a grave violation of quality assurance standards, following the circulation of a media publication that identified Mr Oduro Osae as holding a Doctorate in Political Economy. This, the Commission said, was in direct disregard of earlier instructions for him to discontinue the use of the title “Dr.”

According to GTEC, an earlier probe conducted into Mr Oduro Osae’s academic background, communicated in a letter dated October 13, 2025, concluded that doctoral credentials he presented from the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) and the Universidad Central de Nicaragua (UCN) were not valid within Ghana’s tertiary education system.

The Commission said its assessment uncovered several irregularities in the academic documents submitted, including missing credit hour information, vague grading systems, unverified course classifications, and unresolved questions about the collaboration between SMC and UCN in awarding the degrees.

GTEC also noted that it could not verify claims that Mr Oduro Osae had earned doctoral qualifications from the University of London, SMC and UCN, as no credible evidence was provided to support any of the assertions.

“As a consequence of these unresolved issues, the qualifications obtained from Swiss Management Centre and Universidad Central de Nicaragua are declared invalid,” the October 2025 correspondence stated, directing Mr Oduro Osae to stop using the doctoral designation in all official and public engagements.

Despite this clear directive, GTEC said it recently came across a publication announcing Mr Oduro Osae’s appointment as ICAG’s Chief Executive Officer, which again described him as a holder of a doctorate in Political Economy.

The Commission said this portrayal was misleading and had the potential to undermine the integrity and reputation of the Institute.

GTEC, however, indicated that the withdrawal of ICAG’s recognition could be reversed if the Institute and its Chief Executive Officer take the necessary steps to correct the situation and address the breach. It also instructed its Director of Corporate Affairs to officially list ICAG among institutions that are no longer recognised.

The decision follows ICAG’s recent announcement of Mr Oduro Osae’s appointment as Chief Executive Officer, effective January 5, 2026. In a statement to its members, the Institute described him as an experienced chartered accountant, legal practitioner and governance specialist, indicating that he holds a doctorate in Political Economy in addition to other academic and professional qualifications.