NewzThe Minority in Parliament has welcomed President John Mahama’s decision to remove Yaw Ampofo Ankrah as Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), but says his removal must be followed by a comprehensive investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding visa arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Minority said its earlier call for Mr Ampofo Ankrah to step aside was based on concerns that the allegations required accountability and an independent investigation. Addressing the media on Wednesday, October 7, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, commended President Mahama for acting on the Minority’s demand.
“We raised that call because we believed that, in the face of the serious questions surrounding the alleged World Cup visa arrangements, there was a need for accountability and for the investigation to proceed without the continued presence of the Director-General at the helm of affairs at the institution,” he said. Mr Assafuah, however, stressed that the removal of the NSA Director-General should not be treated as the end of the matter. He said documents and records available to the Minority suggested that the alleged irregularities involved a wider chain of institutional actors, requiring investigations beyond the former NSA Director-General.
The Minority is calling for investigations into the roles of Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams, the leadership of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), officials of the National Sports Authority, officials within the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, and private entity TRIBE Culture Fest. The Minority wants the investigation to examine alleged visa-related irregularities and other concerns linked to Ghana’s preparations for the 2026 World Cup, including claims that unauthorised visa processing fees were charged to applicants. It has also raised concerns about the submission of individuals with questionable professional credentials to the United States and Canadian embassies as part of arrangements for the tournament.
The Minority has previously alleged that more than US$600,000 was collected from individuals seeking assistance with visa and travel arrangements, with some applicants allegedly paying as much as US$8,000. The Minority in Parliament has called for the immediate dismissal and prosecution of the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Eddie Adams, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) over their alleged involvement in the 2026 FIFA World Cup visa scandal. The call comes days after President John Mahama suspended the Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, over his alleged involvement in an investigation into a $623,000 visa facilitation fee.
Addressing a press conference in Parliament on Wednesday, Ranking Member of the Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, alleged that some officials facilitated the visa processing of persons who were not staff of the Ministry. According to him, this involved allegedly writing a cover letter to disguise outsiders as staff of the Ministry to facilitate their visa applications. Mr Assafuah said the development raises serious questions about the processes used to facilitate the travel of individuals to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The controversy follows concerns over the payment of approximately $623,000 in visa facilitation fees in connection with Ghana’s arrangements for supporters and officials travelling to the tournament. President John Mahama subsequently suspended Yaw Ampofo Ankrah as Director General of the NSA pending investigations into the matter. The Minority is now demanding that the investigation be extended to other officials it alleges played a role in the arrangements.
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