By Baba Mohammed Issahak
The CEO of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), Mr. Tanko Rashid-Computer, is facing growing pressure to step down over allegations of academic fraud.
In a formal petition submitted to President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday, a private citizen, Odeneho Kwaku Takyi, widely known on social media as “Sir Obama”, is demanding Mr. Rashid-Computer’s immediate removal from office. The GIFEC boss, who also serves as the Deputy Director of Elections and IT for the ruling NDC, is accused of holding a “fraudulent” PhD from a non-existent university in the United States.
According to the petition, Mr. Rashid-Computer’s 2016 PhD in Public Administration, allegedly obtained from the so-called Kinsnow University, is not recognised by the U.S. Department of Education or any official accreditation body.
“The university neither exists in the United States nor any other part of the globe,” the petition reads, describing the situation as “a scandalous act of academic fraud” that breaches Ghana’s 1992 Constitution and the 2025 Code of Conduct for public officials.
The petitioner cited a letter from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) reportedly advising Mr. Rashid-Computer to stop using the “Dr” title. He further alleges that the GIFEC CEO may have used the fake degree to secure his government position, which could constitute defrauding by false pretence.
The petition calls for a full investigation into the academic credentials of Mr. Rashid-Computer and urges President Mahama to extend verification checks to all government appointees.
This isn’t the first credential scandal to rock the government. Just weeks ago, the President revoked the appointment of an NHIA board member over fake medical qualifications.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Sir Obama confirmed the petition, following a heated online exchange with Mr. Rashid-Computer, who had defended the legitimacy of his PhD during a Joy Prime interview on June 11.
As public scrutiny intensifies, all eyes are now on the Presidency for the next move.
