Dismiss petition against Rashid Tanko – Mahama told

A Private citizen and economist at Bimbilla Senior High School, Sharif Shani Sagyeldoo Amadu, has also petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to dismiss calls for the removal of Dr. Rashid Tanko Computer, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), over alleged academic fraud.

The petition follows an earlier request made to the President by private citizen Odeneho Kwaku Takyi, who claimed Dr. Rashid-Computer holds a fake PhD in Public Administration supposedly awarded in 2016 by Kingsnow University.

According to the him, the institution is non-existent and unaccredited in the United States.

Mr. Takyi’s petition accuses the GIFEC CEO of academic dishonesty, violation of the 2025 Code of Conduct for Public Officials, and potential breaches of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

He also referenced a letter from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) allegedly advising Dr. Rashid-Computer to cease using the “Dr.” title due to questions surrounding the credibility of the institution that awarded the degree.

However, Mr. Sagyeldoo Amadu’s countered the petition insisting that the accusations are politically motivated and lack merit.

He describes the original petition as a “personal vendetta” by Mr. Takyi, whom he identifies as a known critic of the government and member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

“Your Excellency, as stated above the petition is largely driven by emotions and personal vendetta which must not be allowed to fisted against your own appointees. I also see a conspiracy to gag your governance should you listen to him. Especially that there was an agenda by one journalist Afrifa who previously made the point that your government is full of northerners. And so is their plan set agenda to start attacking northern appointees so that their number will decrease.”

He alleges that Mr. Takyi has used social media platforms to launch unwarranted attacks against government appointees, including the President.

Addressing the core allegations, Mr. Sagyeldoo Amadu argues that holding a degree from an unaccredited institution does not automatically amount to fraud.

He pointed out that while GTEC advised Dr. Rashid-Computer to refrain from using the academic title in Ghana due to accreditation issues, the Commission did not describe the degree as fake or forged.

He further challenged the assertion that the degree’s use constitutes a breach of the 2025 Code of Conduct or any criminal law. According to him, unless the PhD was a requirement for Dr. Rashid-Computer’s appointment to GIFEC—a claim he says is untrue—then allegations of dishonesty or fraud are baseless.

“The petitioner overstepped by assuming the role of the court and making a legal determination without proper investigation, concluding that the act in question constitutes a breach
of the 1992 constitution of Ghana. Therefore, I recommend that the petition be dismissed as it lacks merit and violates the 1992 constitution of Ghana,” Mr. Sagyeldoo Amadu wrote.

He also suggested that the targeting of Dr. Rashid-Computer may be part of a broader agenda to discredit appointees from northern Ghana, referencing past comments by a journalist who claimed the current administration is dominated by northerners.