The Minority in Parliament has called for the immediate dismissal of Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Iddie Adams and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Maame Efua Houadjeto, over their alleged roles in Ghana’s controversial World Cup visa arrangements.
The call was made by the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, at a press conference on Wednesday, where he raised fresh concerns over documents and correspondence surrounding the visa scheme.
According to Mr Assafuah, the dismissal of the Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, should not be treated as the end of the matter, insisting that accountability must extend to every official and institution implicated by the evidence.
Also read: Former Australian bishop jailed for sexually abusing young men
He said the documents in the Minority’s possession point to a wider chain of institutional involvement involving the NSA, GTA, Ministry of Sports and Recreation and private entity TRIBE Culture Fest.
“Accountability cannot and does not end with one individual,” Mr Assafuah said, arguing that the issues raised by the World Cup visa arrangements require a comprehensive and independent investigation.
Mr Assafuah called for the immediate removal of Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams, stressing that the Minister’s role in the visa arrangements requires further scrutiny.
According to him, the Ministry received a request from the NSA concerning World Cup-related visa arrangements and subsequently transmitted an expanded list of names to the United States Embassy.
He questioned why individuals allegedly not employed by the NSA or formally recognised as its personnel or volunteers were included in arrangements presented through the Authority.
Mr Assafuah said the investigation must establish the Minister’s knowledge, authorisation, participation and role in the process.
“We demand a full investigation into the Minister’s knowledge, authorization, participation and role in that process,” he said.
The Minority Ranking Member also called for the dismissal of the GTA Chief Executive Officer, arguing that the Authority’s involvement in the wider visa arrangements warranted the same level of scrutiny.
Mr Assafuah said the Ghana Tourism Authority was not an outsider to the controversial arrangements.
He pointed to the reported relationship between the GTA and TRIBE Culture Fest, including arrangements involving visa processing, accommodation and preparatory travel linked to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
According to him, the documents indicate that TRIBE facilitated preparatory travel for GTA leadership and that financial obligations arose from the arrangement.
He demanded answers about the contractual basis of the engagement, the services provided, payments made, and any outstanding amounts.
Mr Assafuah also drew attention to a list of 50 people reportedly submitted by the GTA to the United States Embassy as media personnel.
He said the US Embassy’s Fraud Prevention Unit subjected the names to verification, with only two individuals reportedly identified as media practitioners.
The Ranking Member said the professional identities and institutional status of the remaining applicants must be independently established.
Mr Assafuah raised concerns over allegations that some individuals seeking access to the World Cup visa arrangements paid substantial amounts of money.
According to him, figures ranging from US$7,000 to US$14,000 have been cited, while some applicants were allegedly charged between US$8,000 and US$9,000.
He stressed that the allegations must be tested against documentary and financial evidence.
“Where evidence establishes that administrative misconduct has occurred, the appropriate administrative processes should follow. Where evidence establishes a criminal offence, the relevant investigative and prosecutorial authorities should act in accordance with the law,” he said.
He called for bank records, payment records, communications and other relevant documents to be examined to determine whether money was collected, who received it and what services the payments were intended to cover.
Mr Assafuah said the President’s decision to remove Yaw Ampofo Ankrah was a step towards accountability but insisted that the investigation must go further.
“The President has removed Yaw Ampofo Ankrah. We acknowledge that decision. But the public should not be made to believe that the removal of one official automatically answers every question arising from the documents,” he said.
He said the roles of the Sports Ministry, GTA, NSA officials, TRIBE Culture Fest and other individuals connected to the arrangements must all be examined.
The Minority is also demanding an investigation into the preparation and transmission of institutional lists, alleged creation or use of positions that did not exist within the NSA’s organisational structure and the representation of individuals as NSA staff or affiliates.
The Ranking Member stressed that dismissal from office should not be confused with criminal accountability.
According to him, officials found culpable of administrative misconduct must face appropriate sanctions, while anyone against whom evidence of criminal conduct is established must be prosecuted.
“Dismissal is not prosecution. Removal from office is not accountability for criminal conduct,” Mr Assafuah said.
He urged the appropriate law-enforcement and prosecutorial authorities to investigate the alleged collection and movement of money, the preparation and transmission of institutional lists and the roles played by officials across the NSA, GTA and Ministry of Sports and Recreation.
Mr Assafuah said no official should be protected because of the office they occupy and no private individual should escape scrutiny because they operated through a public institution.
He insisted that the World Cup visa controversy must not become a search for “one convenient individual to blame”.