The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has stated that there is no evidence to support claims by Member of Parliament for Essikado-Ketan, Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, that she holds the academic rank of professor.
In a letter to the Chief of Staff at the Presidency, the Commission explained that it had asked Dr. Ayensu-Danquah to provide proof of her professorial appointment by August 11, 2025.
Her legal team, led by David K. Ametefe, responded on August 8, insisting that she had been appointed an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Utah in the United States. They also questioned GTEC’s authority to request evidence of an appointment made outside Ghana.
But according to GTEC, the documents presented told a different story. A letter from the University of Utah, signed by Prof. W. Bradford Rockwell, Vice Chair for Academic Affairs in the Department of Surgery, confirmed that Dr. Ayensu-Danquah was appointed as an Adjunct Assistant Professor, not an Assistant Professor as her solicitors claimed.
The Commission noted that omitting the term “Adjunct” was misleading, stressing that such a role is non-tenure track and, within Ghana’s academic framework, is equivalent to a part-time lecturer—not a senior lecturer, and certainly not a professor.
“Based on the above, the Commission concludes that Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah does not hold the title of Professor in any capacity,” the letter stated.
GTEC has called on her employers to ensure she stops presenting herself as a professor, warning that if she continues, it may be forced to take legal action on grounds of public deception.
The Commission attached to its letter its earlier correspondence dated 4th August 2025, the clarification from the University of Utah, and the response from Dr. Ayensu-Danquah’s solicitors.
