The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has demanded the immediate removal of the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, over the alleged World Cup visa scandal involving more than US$600,000 reportedly collected from applicants seeking visas to the United States and Canada.
The party insists that the removal of the Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, is insufficient to address allegations that official government correspondence was used to facilitate visa applications for individuals falsely presented as public officers.
Addressing a news conference at the NPP headquarters at Asylum Down, Accra, the party’s National Communications Director, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, accused the government of attempting to shield senior officials from accountability.
According to him, the scandal extends beyond the NSA to the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, whose correspondence allegedly supported questionable visa applications.
“The removal of one Director-General is not accountability. It is a single step that the government is trying to turn into a destination,” he stated.
Alleged visa irregularities
Mr Aboagye referred to a 49-page dossier presented by the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, on October 7, 2026.
He claimed the documents revealed that a supplementary agreement between the NSA and TRIBE Culture Fest, dated January 19, 2026, required the Authority to pay the private company US$3,000 per applicant for US visa processing and US$2,000 for Canadian visas, regardless of whether applications succeeded.
According to the NPP, applicants were allegedly charged between US$8,000 and US$14,000 each, with total collections reportedly exceeding US$600,000.
The party further alleged that correspondence dated January 28, 2026, introduced 22 individuals to the US Embassy as NSA employees, although some reportedly occupied nonexistent positions.
It claimed that the US Embassy’s Fraud Prevention Unit subsequently questioned the employment status of four applicants in March.
Mr Aboagye also alleged that, following concerns raised by Canadian authorities, the NSA submitted a list of 102 applicants in June, of whom only 15 were verified as employees.
These allegations remain subject to independent verification.
Minister must step aside
The NPP questioned why the Sports Ministry forwarded approximately 90 names to the US Embassy on May 28, 2026, without adequately verifying the applicants’ identities.
Mr Aboagye rejected the Ministry’s explanation that forwarding the list amounted to a technical review rather than an endorsement.
He argued that correspondence bearing the Ministry’s letterhead and requesting ministerial support could reasonably be interpreted as official backing.
The party also dismissed the Ministry’s defence that there was no evidence the Minister personally benefited financially, arguing that investigations should examine possible administrative failures and abuse of office.
It consequently demanded that Mr Adams step aside or be relieved of his duties pending independent investigations.
The NPP further called for the Chief Executive Officer of the GTA to step aside while allegations concerning the Authority’s involvement are investigated.
NPP demands independent probe
Mr Aboagye disclosed that Mr Assafuah had petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Presidency, seeking accountability and a commission of inquiry.
The party demanded the involvement of the OSP and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), alongside the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), to trace payments allegedly made by applicants.
It also called on Parliament to summon the Sports Minister and GTA Chief Executive Officer for questioning.
Additionally, the NPP demanded the publication of agreements between the NSA, GTA and TRIBE Culture Fest, together with correspondence submitted to the American and Canadian diplomatic missions.
The party urged the government to protect affected applicants, recover any unlawfully collected funds and refund victims where appropriate.
Mr Aboagye further alleged that some World Cup tickets purchased with public funds had been resold to Ghanaian supporters, promising to release supporting evidence.
He maintained that the visa controversy had implications for Ghana’s international reputation and required investigations extending beyond the NSA leadership.
“Ghana’s name is not for sale. Not at the US Embassy, not at the Canadian High Commission, and not anywhere else,” he declared.
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