Is NDC's Tanko-Computer’s PhD fake? Here’s everything you need to know

A massive row erupted over whether a top NDC official is using a fake PhD title, with serious questions being raised about his academic credentials and calls for him to be sacked from his government job.

Dr Rashid Tanko-Computer, who serves as both CEO of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) and Deputy Director of Elections and IT for the ruling National Democratic Congress, has found himself at the centre of a growing scandal over his supposed doctorate degree.

The controversy centres around his PhD in Public Administration, which he claims to have earned from Kingsnow University in the United States in 2016. But serious doubts have emerged about whether this qualification is genuine.

The pressure reached a new level when a private citizen named Odeneho Kwaku Takyi, known locally as Sir Obama, formally petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to remove Tanko-Computer from his GIFEC role.

In his petition sent to the Jubilee House on Thursday, June 12, 2025, the petitioner made explosive allegations. He claimed that:

The petition went further, stating:

READ ALSO: Ghana lost over GHC 548 million in NSS ghost names fraud - Attorney General reveals

According to the petitioner's investigations, Kingsnow University "neither exists in the United States nor any other part of the globe" and was "conspicuously absent from all authoritative databases of recognised and accredited universities in the United States, including those maintained by the US Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation."

The petition also revealed that the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) had already raised concerns. The petitioner referenced a letter supposedly written by GTEC to Tanko-Computer, asking him to stop using the 'Dr' title "after discovering the opaqueness of his PhD credentials."

The petitioner accused Tanko-Computer of potential criminal offences, including:

READ ALSO: Mahama finally ends controversial YEA–Zoomlion contract, vows to increase sweepers’ wages

When confronted about these allegations on JoyPrime's Prime Morning Show on Wednesday, June 11, Tanko-Computer dismissed his critics and defended his qualifications. He said:

He confirmed that he earned his PhD from Kingsnow University, describing it as an online institution where he enrolled in 2012 and completed his programme in 2016.

READ ALSO: Pres. Mahama sacks Anne Sansa Daly from NHIA Board amid alleged credential fraud

Independent investigation into Kingsnow University uncovered disturbing findings. At the time of scrutiny, there was no active website or verifiable digital presence for the university.

Domain searches showed no records, suggesting the university's website was either never properly registered or had been shut down.

However, archived versions of the Kingsnow University website first retrieved by ghcampus.com, showed it had previously claimed to offer certificates, academic degrees, and PhD programmes.

The university said it was accredited by two organisations: the Global Accreditation Board for Distance Education (GABDE) and the International Accreditation Association for Online Schools.

But both accrediting bodies proved questionable. GABDE isn't recognised by key US oversight bodies like the Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

The International Accreditation Association for Online Schools has no verifiable existence and isn't listed in any recognised directories.

READ ALSO: NCA shuts down Asaase Radio, Wontumi FM and 60 other stations

In a bizarre twist, on May 30, 2025, the Kingsnow University domain suddenly came back to life with a new website containing a shocking disclaimer.

The homepage now states:

It adds:

This directly contradicts the archived website that clearly advertised PhD programmes. The timing of this disclaimer, appearing just as the controversy intensified, raises questions about whether the website was hastily created to discredit Tanko-Computer or provide him with an escape route.

The evidence suggests Tanko-Computer's PhD credentials are highly questionable at best.

MUST READ: How Gifty Oware-Mensah allegedly stole GH₵30 million NSS money by creating fake companies

It could also be that he was likely (with a huge DOUBT attached) a victim of an online academic scam, but then again, that also raises questions about whether any due diligence was conducted by him.