It has appeared that the honorary award granted unto outspoken sports journalist, Countryman Songo a few days ago is not valid.
This is due to the fact that the school which honored him isalegedly not duly recognized by the necessary authorities to do so under the law.
The National Accreditation Board (NAB) says the Riches Theological College and Clergy Council has not been accredited to award any form of degree, be it regular or honorary in the country.
Hence, the celebrated journalist’s award becomes ‘fake’.
It, therefore, cautioned dignitaries who have been awarded by the said institution with the so-called honorary degrees to desist from using such titles to avoid exposing themselves to unnecessary embarrassment and ridicule.
Recent award
The Riches Theological College and Clergy Council recently awarded Adom TV’s Fire 4 Fire presenter, Patrick Osei Agyemang, popularly known as Country Man Songo a doctorate in humanity.
It also awarded Nana Yaa Brefo, also of Adom TV a doctorate in Journalism and Humanity.
However, a statement signed by the Executive Director of the NAB, Dr. Kingsley Nyarko, said the institution is not mandated to give such awards.
The statement said,
“This is one of such instances where some foreign institutions confer such honorary degrees, particularly doctorate degrees on prominent personalities with intent to legitimize and popularize the operations of the institutions in Ghana, and thereby seeking to attract unsuspecting students to enroll 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 authorized to award any degree – regular or honorary in Ghana.”
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Reminder
It reminded the public that the conferment of honorary degrees was the prerogative of degree awarding institutions so mandated.
“Therefore, non-governmental organizations, unaccredited institutions and accredited private tertiary institutions operating
under the mentorship of chartered degree-awarding universities are not qualified by themselves to confer honorary degrees.
Any such institutions that do so will be in contravention of Regulation 19 (1) of the Tertiary
Institutions (Establishment and Accreditation) Regulation, 2010 (L.I. 1984) which states that:
“An accredited institution shall not issue certificates or award its own degrees, diplomas or
honorary degree without a charter granted to it for that purpose by the President,” it said.
NAB hence cautioned all distinguished personalities invited for such awards,
to verify the accreditation status and degree-awarding powers of the institutions that seek to
confer on them honorary degrees to avoid any embarrassing fallouts.
It said any “person/group that accepts any degree from this/such entity
does so at the peril of being a subject of ridicule and contempt.”