NAB warns dignitaries on honorary degrees by 2 unaccredited institutions

The National Accreditation Board (NAB) has said the Commonwealth University and London Graduate School, UK) have not been accredited by the relevant body to award any form of degree, be it regular or honorary in Ghana.

The NAB has, therefore, warned the public and dignitaries who have received letters from the two institutions and are to be awarded "so-called honorary degrees" to be forewarned.

“We, therefore, issue this notice to forewarn the dignitaries who are to be awarded by the said institutions with the so-called honorary degrees to avoid exposing themselves to unnecessary embarrassment and ridicule,” the NAB said in a statement issued in Accra on Monday.

The acting Executive Secretary of the NAB, Dr Kingsley Nyarko who signed the statement said the attention of the NAB had been drawn to planned conferment of honorary doctorate degrees on some selected personalities by the Commonwealth University and London Graduate School, UK.

It said the conferment was one of such instances where some foreign institutions conferred such honorary degrees, particularly doctorate degrees on prominent personalities with the intent to legitimise and popularise their operations in Ghana, and thereby attracting unsuspecting students to enrol in them.

“It must be made clear that universities and other tertiary education institutions which are unaccredited by the relevant authorities in their home countries cannot be authorised to award any degree - regular or honorary in Ghana.

“The NAB wishes to caution all and advise that distinguished personalities invited for such awards, should verify the accreditation status and degree-awarding powers of the institutions that seek to confer on them honorary degrees to avoid any embarrassing fallouts. Further, any person/group that accepts any degree from these/such entities do so at the peril of being a subject of ridicule and contempt,” the statement said.