The Minority in Parliament has called for the immediate dismissal or suspension of the Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo, over an alleged visa facilitation arrangement linked to Ghana’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Minority’s Ranking Member on the Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, said the call follows reports that the NSA Director-General and some staff had appeared before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for questioning over the alleged arrangement.
The Minority also questioned an alleged visa facilitation operation involving Tribe Culture Fest, reportedly operating from the Accra Sports Stadium.
According to Mr Assafuah, the United States Embassy in Ghana had contacted the Minister for Sports and Recreation over individuals who allegedly presented themselves as staff of the NSA.
He said the Minister subsequently contacted the NSA Director-General, who denied that the individuals were employees of the Authority.
Mr Assafuah questioned why the matter had not been subjected to further investigation.
“It is either that private individuals staying somewhere wrote letters on the letterheads of National Sports Authority, or they are actually persons at the NSA who wrote letters and introduced certain people to the United States of America for such people to be given visas,” he said.
The Minority also cited information alleging that some individuals paid as much as US$8,000 for assistance with travel arrangements.
“The question is simple. Why was a private entity permitted to operate from a state sports facility to facilitate such transactions?” Mr Assafuah asked.
“Who authorised it? Who received the money? What service was actually provided? And what happened to those who paid but did not get what they were promised?”
NSA Boss Steps Aside
Mr Assafuah said the Minority was not prejudging the outcome of any investigation but maintained that the NSA Director-General should step aside while the matter was being investigated.
“We are not prejudging before the facts are established. But when the head of a state institution is being questioned by the police over allegations connected to activities reportedly carried out within or around that institution, the appropriate thing to do is to step aside while the investigation is ongoing,” he said.
The Minority, he said, was therefore calling on President John Dramani Mahama to remove Mr Ampofo from office or require him to step aside until the investigations are concluded.
“We therefore call on the President to dismiss the Director-General of the National Sports Authority with immediate effect or, at the very least, require him to step aside pending the conclusion of the investigation,” he said.
World Cup Tickets Under Scrutiny
The Minority also demanded a full account of the procurement and distribution of tickets for Ghana’s World Cup matches.
Mr Assafuah questioned the number of tickets purchased, the amount paid, beneficiaries, tickets used or left unused, and whether any tickets were transferred or resold.
“How many tickets were actually purchased? How much was paid? Who received the tickets? How many were used? How many remained unused? Were any transferred? Were any resold?” he asked.
He said the ticket allocation must also be reconciled with the 431 supporters the Ministry reportedly sponsored to travel to North America.
“And that is why we want that reconciliation. The 431, the list should be given to us so that we know that indeed, if you want to compare to the emails that were given or those who were given tickets, all those 431 were captured,” he said.
Partey’s Canada Entry Raises Questions
The Minority further demanded answers over the circumstances surrounding Black Stars deputy captain Thomas Partey’s inability to enter Canada during the tournament.
Mr Assafuah stressed that the issue was not intended to determine Partey’s guilt or innocence.
“Let us be clear, this is not about determining Mr Partey’s guilt or innocence. He is entitled to the presumption of innocence and that is a cardinal principle in law,” he said.
He instead questioned whether the appropriate administrative and legal due diligence had been undertaken when Partey’s visa application was processed.
“So I asked the Minister and the GFA who actually filled the forms for Thomas Partey. What due diligence was done?” he asked.
Mr Assafuah said the Minority had received information alleging that Partey’s ongoing legal proceedings were not properly declared on his Canadian visa application, but stressed that the allegation had not been established as fact.
“Who actually filled this form? Who slept on that job?” he asked.
‘Pay-to-Play’ Claims Questioned
The Minority also raised concerns over allegations of “pay-to-play” in the selection of players for the Black Stars.
Mr Assafuah acknowledged that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) had denied the allegations and threatened legal action.
“We are not presenting the allegations as established as facts,” he said.
He nevertheless called for greater transparency in player selection to strengthen public confidence in the process.
Full World Cup Reconciliation
Mr Assafuah said Ghana’s World Cup campaign should be assessed not only on its sporting outcome but also on financial accountability and the long-term development of football.
“The FIFA World Cup is not only a sporting event. It is also a major commercial opportunity,” he said.
He argued that the Black Stars brand could generate legitimate revenue to support football development, youth academies and sporting infrastructure.
“We need a commercial strategy that ensures that future World Cup campaigns generate value for Ghana rather than simply generating expenditure.”
The Minority is consequently demanding that the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, the GFA and other relevant institutions publish a detailed account of World Cup expenditure, disclose FIFA-related funds received, reconcile corporate and private contributions, account for supporter sponsorship arrangements and provide a full reconciliation of ticket procurement and distribution.
“The bigger issue is the direction of Ghanaian sports,” Mr Assafuah said.
“Ghana cannot continue to measure success simply by qualification. Our ambition must be to build a football system that consistently produces talent, competes at the highest level, generates revenue and leaves a lasting legacy for future generations.
Source: Felix Nyaaba/expressnewsghana.com
