Martin Kpebu challenges GTEC’s directive declaring SMC degrees invalid

Legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has petitioned the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) on behalf of the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) University Alumni Association (Ghana Chapter), challenging what he describes as the “illegal derecognition” of degrees awarded by the Swiss university.

In a petition dated October 27, 2025, and addressed to the GTEC Governing Board Chairman, Kpebu argued that the directive by GTEC’s Director-General declaring SMC University degrees unrecognised was procedurally flawed and violated principles of fairness, due process, and legitimate expectation.

According to the petition, SMC University operated in Ghana between 2012 and 2018 under formal accreditation from the then National Accreditation Board (NAB) as a foreign tertiary institution.

During that period, the university offered several professional and doctoral programmes, including the Doctor of Finance (DFin), Doctor of Management (DoM), and Doctor of Business Administration (DBA).

Kpebu noted that although the NAB withdrew SMC University’s accreditation in 2018 due to its “home-country accreditation” status, the Board allowed students already enrolled to complete their studies and receive valid degrees.

He said official communications from NAB confirmed that degrees earned under valid accreditation remained legitimate even after the withdrawal.

However, the current directive from GTEC, he said, reverses those assurances by instructing employers and institutions not to recognise SMC degrees. Kpebu described the move as “ultra vires”, claiming it was issued without the approval of GTEC’s Governing Board, contrary to the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023).

“The directive seeks to apply retrospectively to degrees lawfully earned years earlier, contrary to Article 107 of the 1992 Constitution, which prohibits retrospective laws,” the petition stated.

The lawyer warned that the decision could cause severe reputational and psychological harm to hundreds of SMC graduates in Ghana, including job losses, demotions, and public stigma suggesting their qualifications are invalid.

The petition calls on GTEC’s Governing Board to set aside the directive, reaffirm the validity of degrees obtained under NAB accreditation up to 2018, and issue an official clarification to correct public misperceptions.

Kpebu concluded that while the alumni support GTEC’s mandate to ensure quality assurance in higher education, the Commission must act swiftly to restore confidence in the system and avert litigation.

“We appeal for the urgent intervention of the Governing Board to restore confidence in the regulatory system, protect innocent graduates, and avert possible public mistrust in GTEC,” he said.

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