Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Richard Kofi Asiedu, has officially withdrawn the use of the honorary title “Professor” following a public notice and directive from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
In a statement titled “Notice of Disclaimer”, Dr. Asiedu acknowledged GTEC’s concerns over his continued use of the title and admitted he was previously unaware that honorary academic titles could not be formally used without official academic backing.
“I did not know that honorary titles could not be used until this prompting by GTEC,” he stated. “As a law-abiding citizen, I have duly obliged the notice by GTEC and have accordingly ceased using the title of professor.”
Dr. Asiedu explained that the honorary title was conferred on him three years ago by Alfred Nobel University in Dnipro, Ukraine—an internationally recognised institution—in recognition of his contributions to human development.
“I did not chase the title on a whim,” he clarified, stressing that it was awarded to him due to his impactful work and not out of personal ambition.
Following GTEC’s latest caution, the NDC regional chairman has reverted to his academic qualification as a PhD holder, earned through research in 2012. He also appealed to the public to respect this update and address him appropriately going forward.
The controversy erupted after GTEC, in a letter dated July 28, 2024, flagged Mr. Asiedu’s continued use of the “Professor” title despite a previous warning issued on June 2, 2025. The Commission described the act as “unethical” and inconsistent with Ghana’s educational standards.
GTEC expressed disappointment, pointing to promotional materials for the EELL 2025 Conference that continued to refer to him as “Prof. Richard Kofi Asiedu.” The Commission has since asked him to remove the title from all official documents and submit proof of his highest academic qualification for verification.
