“I don’t respond to idiots”.
That was the initial response from Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer, the current CEO of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), when asked about the issue of his PhD qualifications on a news programme.
Dr. Tanko Computer has been accused of having fake credentials for his PhD from an online university called Kingsnow University.
“My PhD from Kingsnow University is legitimate, and I’m proud of it,” he stated on the news programme.
About Dr Tanko Computer
The CEO of GIFEC served as Deputy National Director of Elections and IT for the NDC, frequently appearing on Ghanaian news channels to challenge the Electoral Commission over poor IT systems, re-collations, and perceived irregularities
His prior postings include Northern Regional Director of the Youth Employment Agency and Regional Manager of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
Dr.Tanko‑Computer is said to have qualifications for numerous subjects, including a PhD in Public Administration, an MSc in Criminal Justice, and an MSc in Public Administration.
The “PhD” Controversy
On 28th May, 2025, President Mahama revoked the appointment of Anne Sansa Daly from the Board of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
The move was initiated after numerous reports stated that Ms Daly was not a registered doctor, with reports that Johns Hopkins, the institution from which Ms. Daly received her certification, stated they could not find any record of her attendance.
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) recently stepped in and issued a “final warning” to individuals and public figures from misusing honorary doctorate and professorial titles in their public endeavors.
The recent events have led to more spotlight on Dr Tanko-Computer.
According to the CEO of GIFIC, he received his PhD from Kingsnow University, where he studied from 2012 to 2016.
In a report from the Daily Graphic, a source at GIFEC stated that they had received a letter from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) directing Sofo Rashid Tanko-Computer to “cease” using the doctor title.
In the letter, GTEC stated that the PhD Dr.Tanko-Computer claims to have earned in 2016 from Kingsnow University was “unearned.”
It has requested that the CEO cease using the title “Doctor” and remove it from all official documents and platforms.
Verifying Kingsnow University
The Labari Journal looked more into Kingsnow University and noticed various issues.
This week, we searched for the university website at kingsnowuniversity.com. The site appeared to be inactive.
However, when checked on June 12th, 2025, the website is populated with HTML text which shows “Kingsnow University” in its header and an official notice which states that “this institution does NOT award PhD degrees”.
Further checks on the website registration show that the site was registered on May 30th, 2025.
Checking the source code, it would seem like the site has been plagiarized by hackers and therefore, cannot be a legitimate website.
Digging deeper, The Journal was able to get a screenshot of the Kingsnow University from using the Wayback Machine, an online tool that archives websites with screenshots.
Screenshots from January 2018 show that Kingsnow University appeared to be a valid university that offered online degrees, including PhDs.
Claims of receipt of a PhD from the Kingsnow University are hard to verify because the university appears to be now defunct.
What Happens Next
On February 14th, 2025, Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer was appointed as CEO of GIFEC by President Mahama.
But his role at the institution might be in jeopardy due to the accusations and claims that his accreditation cannot be verified.
However, if Mr Tanko-Computer can show receipts of completion from the university as well as produce his certificate, his role at GIFC may be safe.
