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ACCRA — The Minority in Parliament has called for the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Maame Afua Houadjeto, to step aside pending investigations into alleged irregularities surrounding Ghana’s 2026 World Cup visa arrangements.
The call follows President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to ask the Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, to step aside while the police investigate the allegations.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, Ranking Member on the Youth and Sports Committee Vincent Ekow Assafuah said the decision involving the NSA director-general should be viewed as the beginning of a wider accountability process.
“The dismissal of Yaw Ampofo Ankrah does not, by itself, resolve the issues before us. Accountability cannot and does not end with one individual,” he said.
Minority alleges wider institutional involvement
The Minority said documents in its possession point to the involvement of the National Sports Authority, Ghana Tourism Authority, TRIBE Culture Fest and officials within the Ministry of Sports and Recreation.
It alleged that some individuals who were not employees or official affiliates of public institutions were presented as such in communications with foreign diplomatic missions.
The Minority is calling for investigations into the roles of the Sports Minister, GTA leadership, NSA officials and TRIBE Culture Fest.
However, the allegations have not been established as fact and are expected to be subject to investigation.
Questions over payments
The Minority also raised questions about alleged payments ranging between US$7,000 and US$14,000 by individuals seeking access to the visa arrangements.
Assafuah said anyone found to have been administratively culpable should face appropriate sanctions, while individuals found to have committed criminal offences should be prosecuted.
“Dismissal is not prosecution. Removal from office is not accountability for criminal conduct. Where there is evidence of a crime, the appropriate law enforcement and prosecutorial authorities must pursue the matter,” he said.
The Minority argued that the matter goes beyond routine visa applications, saying it involves allegations that the names, authority and credibility of Ghanaian public institutions were used in dealings with foreign diplomatic missions.
Questions over employment claims
Assafuah further alleged that positions were attributed to individuals which, according to institutional records, did not exist within the organisational structure of the National Sports Authority.
He said the Fraud Prevention Unit of the United States Embassy identified discrepancies involving four applicants and requested documentation to establish their employment with the NSA.
According to Assafuah, the Canadian Embassy later sought clarification about the employment arrangements and reasons for travel of individuals described as being affiliated with the sports authority.
Calls for full investigation
The Minority said the investigation should establish who authorised the disputed representations, whether public institutions were improperly used in the visa process and whether any money was solicited or received unlawfully.
It also wants investigators to determine the roles, if any, played by officials and private entities named in connection with the arrangements.
The Minority maintained that the decision to ask the NSA director-general to step aside should not be treated as the end of the matter, but rather as an opportunity for investigators to establish the full chain of responsibility.
The outcome of the police investigation will be important in determining whether the allegations result in administrative sanctions, criminal charges or no further action against the individuals and institutions named.
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