Vincent Ekow Assafuah
The Minority in Parliament has called for the immediate dismissal of the Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Maame Efua Houadjeto, over alleged irregularities surrounding arrangements for visas to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The demand was made yesterday by the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee and Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, who said the removal of the National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, should not bring the matter to an end.
According to him, documents and records in the possession of the Minority point to wider institutional involvement involving the NSA, GTA, Ministry of Sports and Recreation and private entity, TRIBE Culture Fest.
Addressing the media in Parliament yesterday, he said the issues went beyond ordinary visa applications to questions about the alleged use of the names, authority and credibility of Ghanaian public institutions in dealings with foreign diplomatic missions.
He alleged that individuals were presented as employees, personnel, volunteers or affiliates of public institutions when, according to the Minority’s verification, many were not.
He further alleged that some applicants were assigned positions that did not exist within the organisational structure of the NSA and that substantial sums were allegedly paid by individuals seeking to travel to the United States and Canada.
Mr. Assafuah said the concerns had been heightened by questions raised by foreign diplomatic missions.
He cited the US Embassy’s Fraud Prevention Unit, which, according to him, identified discrepancies involving four applicants and requested evidence establishing their employment with the NSA.
He said the Canadian Embassy subsequently sought clarification on the employment, roles and reasons for travel of persons described as NSA-affiliated applicants.
The Minority also raised concerns over the GTA’s involvement in the arrangements.
Mr. Assafuah said TRIBE Culture Fest had entered into an arrangement with the GTA to facilitate visa processing and accommodation for GTA personnel travelling to the United States and Canada for preparatory work and World Cup-related activities.
Under the alleged arrangement, the GTA was to pay approximately US$3,000 per person for United States visa-related costs and US$2,000 per person for Canadian visa-related costs.
He said questions also arose from a list of 50 persons submitted by the GTA to the US Embassy as media personnel for World Cup-related activities.
According to him, the US Embassy’s verification identified only two of the 50 – Philip Narh and Andy Dosty, both associated with Multimedia – as media practitioners.
The Minority further alleged that some individuals outside the GTA were being offered or processed under the arrangements at fees ranging from US$7,000 to US$14,000 per person.
Mr. Assafuah therefore demanded an investigation into who authorised the GTA’s engagement with TRIBE, the contractual basis of the arrangement, the fees charged and the roles played by individuals identified as “Chase” and “Diesel” in the visa-processing activities.
He also called for scrutiny of a reported petition by GTA directors to the CEO raising concerns about accountability, including issues relating to the World Cup visa arrangements.
On the NSA side, Mr Assafuah said a list of 102 persons submitted to the Canadian Embassy on June 8 contained only 15 people who had been verified as NSA personnel, leaving 87 whose status required explanation.
He said several people on the list had allegedly been presented with institutional positions that did not exist within the NSA.
The Minority also questioned the alleged collection of US$8,000 and US$9,000 from some applicants, despite an NSA-TRIBE arrangement stipulating US$3,000 for US processing and US$2,000 for Canada.
Mr Assafuah said the financial transactions, identities of applicants, preparation and transmission of institutional lists and roles of officials must all be subjected to independent investigation.
He particularly demanded an investigation into the role of Mr Adams after the Ministry received an NSA request and subsequently transmitted an expanded list to the US Embassy.
“The Ministry’s role remains. The GTA’s role remains. The role of other NSA officials remains,” he said.
The Minority is consequently calling for the immediate dismissal of both Mr. Adams and the GTA CEO, pending investigations into their respective roles.
Mr. Assafuah stressed, however, that dismissal should not substitute for criminal accountability where wrongdoing is established.
“Dismissal is not prosecution. Removal from office is not accountability for criminal conduct,” he said, insisting that where evidence of criminal conduct was established, the appropriate law-enforcement and prosecutorial authorities should act.
He called for the investigation to cover the Sports Minister, GTA leadership, NSA officials, officials within the Ministry, TRIBE Culture Fest and every other person implicated by the documentary evidence.
BY Ernest Kofi Adu