A war of words over academic credentials has broken out between veteran broadcaster Paul Adom-Otchere and Ashanti Regional Minister Dr. Frank Amoakohene — and the ‘Good Evening Ghana’ host is pushing back hard.
At the centre of the dispute is a loaded label: dropout.
Dr. Amoakohene levelled the claim after Adom-Otchere publicly questioned the minister’s use of the title “Doctor” on air. The minister defended his credentials — identifying himself as a qualified medical doctor and laboratory scientist — then turned the spotlight back on the broadcaster, alleging that Adom-Otchere had failed to complete his own legal training.
It was a jab that did not go unanswered.
Speaking directly on ‘Good Evening Ghana’ on Thursday April 2, Adom-Otchere rejected the characterisation outright. He confirmed that he obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Ghana — and stressed that he was never dismissed from any law programme.
What he acknowledged, however, was a distinction the minister appeared to have blurred: while he completed his undergraduate legal education, he chose not to proceed to the professional training at the Ghana School of Law that would qualify him as a practising lawyer.
In his view, that is a matter of personal choice — not academic failure.
“Choosing not to complete the professional law course does not make me a dropout,” was the essence of his rebuttal, framing the minister’s remarks as a deliberate attempt to muddy the waters and shift attention away from the original question about professional titles.
Dropout’ vs ‘Liar’: How The Amoakohene-Adom-Otchere Clash Lost The Plot
For Adom-Otchere, the feud is about more than bruised egos. He maintained that public officials have a duty to be transparent about their qualifications — and that his initial scrutiny of the minister’s title was rooted in that principle, not personal animosity.
It is a position that has resonated in some quarters. Across social media, radio, and television, Ghanaians have engaged fiercely with the exchange — using it as a springboard for a broader conversation about the accuracy and accountability expected of public figures when presenting their academic and professional credentials.
Neither party has signalled any intention to formally escalate the matter. But the debate shows no signs of cooling. If anything, the back-and-forth has elevated a niche question about titles and training into one of the more talked-about disputes in Ghana’s public life this week — a reminder that in an era of heightened scrutiny, credentials carry weight well beyond the classroom.