A lecturer at the Ghana Christian University College (GCUC), Josephine Aba Sackey, has filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the university’s upcoming graduation ceremony, scheduled for Saturday, October 18, 2025, alleging that dozens of unqualified students are set to graduate into Ghana’s health sector.
The suit, filed at the High Court in Adentan, names the university, its President Reverend James Yamoah, and its affiliate institution, the University for Development Studies (UDS), as defendants.
In her Statement of Claim, Ms Sackey, who teaches at the Faculty of Health Sciences, accuses the university’s leadership of academic fraud and regulatory breaches, alleging that the President has repeatedly admitted and graduated students who do not meet the basic entry requirements. These include students with failing WASSCE grades or vocational certificates from the NVTI, which are not recognised for admission into nursing and health science programmes.
She further claims that the President “bypassed academic procedures” to graduate unqualified students as recently as March 2025, and now intends to do the same for at least 41 students.
Court filings include internal memos and a sworn affidavit highlighting repeated warnings from GCUC’s Vice President, Dr Richard Owusu Nyarko, to the President in September and October 2025. These memos allegedly cautioned against graduating ineligible students and criticised the continued operation of unauthorised satellite campuses in Kumasi, Takoradi, Nalerigu, and Anyinase, which reportedly lack basic facilities such as libraries and clinical skills laboratories.
Ms Sackey also notes that the Nurses and Midwifery Council (NMC) withdrew accreditation for GCUC’s nursing programmes in September 2025, yet the university continues to admit and prepare students for graduation.
Her application, filed by lawyer Justice Abdulai, seeks an interlocutory injunction to stop the graduation, warning that allowing unqualified students to enter the health sector poses a serious threat to public 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,” the motion states.
The suit adds that the potential harm from such actions would be “irreparable” and cannot be remedied financially, justifying the need for an immediate court order.
Among other reliefs, Ms Sackey is seeking:
Follow The Ghanaian Standard channel on WhatsApp for the latest news stories from Ghana.
- The removal of the University President from office.
- A halt to the October 18 graduation and 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 GTEC and UDS.
- The revocation of degrees awarded to unqualified students in March 2025.
The High Court in Adentan is expected to hear the injunction application on Thursday, November 13, 2025. If granted, the graduation ceremony could be postponed indefinitely.
