Lecturer sues Ghana Christian University College to block graduation, citing unqualified students and ‘academic fraud’:
A lecturer at Ghana Christian University College (GCUC) has filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the school’s upcoming graduation ceremony, alleging widespread academic fraud and the impending graduation of dozens of unqualified students into the national health sector. The graduation was originally scheduled for October 18th but the date has passed since the time of the suit.
Josephine Aba Sackey, a lecturer from the Faculty of Health Sciences, has taken legal action against GCUC, its President, Reverend James Yamoah, and its affiliate, the University for Development Studies (UDS), filing a case before the High Court in Adentan, Accra.
Sackey’s suit claims that the university’s president has repeatedly admitted and graduated students who do not meet basic entry requirements, including those with failing WASSCE grades or vocational certificates from the NVTI (National Vocational Training Institute), which are not accepted for nursing and health science programs.
According to the Statement of Claim, President Yamoah allegedly bypassed academic procedures to graduate unqualified students as recently as March 2025 and now intends to do the same with at least 41 additional students.
Supporting court documents include a sworn affidavit and internal memos from GCUC’s Vice President, Dr. Richard Owusu Nyarko, addressed to the President in September and October. These memos reportedly highlighted concerns regarding the graduation of ineligible students and also flagged the operation of unauthorized satellite campuses in Kumasi, Takoradi, Nalerigu, and Anyinase – campuses allegedly lacking essential infrastructure like libraries and clinical skills labs.
The lawsuit further alleges that the Nurses and Midwifery Council (NMC) withdrew accreditation for GCUC’s nursing programs in September 2025, yet the institution continued to admit and prepare students for graduation.
In her application for an interlocutory injunction, filed by her lawyer Justice Abdulai, Sackey argues that allowing unqualified students to enter the healthcare system poses a significant risk to public health and safety. “The 2nd Respondent, by his actions, will cause the release of unqualified persons into the health sector, resulting in the employment of such dangerous persons in our hospitals and health centers to attend to members of the public,” the motion states. The filing also argues that any harm caused by unqualified health professionals would be “irreparable” and cannot be compensated with money, justifying the need for the injunction.
The lawsuit seeks several remedies, including:
• The removal of the University President from office.
• A halt to the October 18th graduation (already passed) and any future ceremonies until a full audit is completed.
• A court order barring the President from performing his duties.
• The dismissal or re-evaluation of unqualified students.
• A forensic audit of student admissions by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and UDS.
• The revocation of degree certificates awarded to unqualified students in March 2025.
The High Court in Adentan was scheduled to hear the injunction application on Thursday, November 13th, according to MODERN GHANA. If granted, future graduation ceremonies could be affected.
