- Emmanuel Opoku Ware and Isaac Abbam recruited in 2020 with falsified qualifications
- Vetting in 2024, ordered by university council, revealed diploma and PhD fraud
- Sunyani Polytechnic audit found Ware was paid despite fake credentials
An investigation by The Fourth Estate has uncovered that the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) in Somanya hired two senior staff members—an internal auditor and a director of estates—who submitted fake academic qualifications.
The two individuals, Emmanuel Opoku Ware and Isaac Abbam, were recruited in 2020 during the university’s early staffing phase. Their fraudulent qualifications only came to light in 2024 after the University Council ordered a vetting of all senior staff credentials.
Opoku Ware’s Fabricated Credentials
Opoku Ware presented an impressive resume, including a PhD from the University of Illinois and multiple MBAs from US and UK universities. He also claimed affiliations with major professional accounting bodies. However, the university’s vetting committee found inconsistencies in his documents and discovered that:
- He never attended several institutions he claimed to have degrees from, such as American University in DC and Redding University.
- His certificate from the University of Illinois was not from the stated campus.
- His work history included unverifiable claims, including being Vice Dean at EP University in Ho.
- He concealed his prior dismissal from Sunyani Polytechnic over questionable qualifications.
Despite underperforming in his job interview, Opoku Ware was hired—allegedly due to a recommendation from then-Education Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, a claim the minister has since denied.
Abbam’s Unverified Doctorates
Similarly, Isaac Abbam claimed to hold two PhDs from universities in Mexico and Costa Rica. However, he was unable to provide certificates for either, and the institutions stated they had no record of him completing their programs.
While Abbam’s master’s degree was confirmed as valid, he was instructed to stop using the title “Doctor” but was not dismissed. The vetting panel had ranked him fifth for the job, yet he was appointed over higher-scoring candidates.
Procedural Lapses and Governance Concerns
In both cases, UESD bypassed proper appointment procedures. The full interview reports were never shared with the University Council, and management issued appointment letters without full approval. The vetting committee faced internal resistance when it began its work, with university staff unions even requesting it be halted.
GTEC’s Response
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) confirmed the falsification and criticized the university’s failure to verify documents before hiring. Maxwell Kissi, GTEC’s Head of Credential Evaluation, emphasized that dismissals are not enough and called for criminal investigations in such cases to prevent repeat offenses.
Financial Loss to the State
Due to these fraudulent hires, both UESD and Sunyani Technical University paid public funds in salaries and allowances to unqualified individuals. While Opoku Ware was dismissed, no efforts have been made to recover the state funds paid to him.
