Ghana’s Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, has rejected demands for his removal and prosecution over alleged irregularities in visa arrangements for supporters and officials ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Buem MP said his ministry did not know about the process until May, despite claims from the Minority in Parliament that officials had helped people who were not ministry employees apply for visas.
The controversy follows the suspension of National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah. The Minority has also called for the dismissal and prosecution of the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), alleging involvement in the arrangements.
Speaking at a press conference in Parliament on Wednesday, October 7, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, alleged that some officials had supported visa applications for individuals who were not employed by the Ministry of Sports and Recreation.
Mr Assafuah further claimed that a cover letter had been prepared which portrayed outsiders as ministry staff in order to assist them in obtaining visas.
Mr Adams denied any advance knowledge of the arrangements, saying they had been handled by the NSA, the GTA, the United States Embassy and TRIBE Culture Fest without notifying his ministry.
“Well, I don’t see the justification. Both the American Embassy and TRIBE Culture Fest, the NSA and the GTA were doing their thing behind the Ministry. The Ministry didn’t know,” he told Citi News.
The minister said his department would have known about the process if the organisations involved had informed it, copied it into their correspondence or formally submitted their plans.
He said the first indication he received was a letter dated May 19, requesting that the ministry send the names of event coordinators and volunteers to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy.
“The first time I ever sat and had a conversation in relation to that matter was when the May 19 letter requested the forwarding of event coordinators and volunteers to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy. That’s when I got to know the details of what was happening,” he said.
Mr Adams explained that the letter was passed to the ministry’s Chief Director, who is a member of the technical committee responsible for overseeing the arrangements.
According to the minister, the committee had agreed that the names of people due to carry out specific roles at the World Cup should be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy so that preparatory procedures could begin.
He said his own involvement was confined to forwarding the letter through the proper administrative channels.
Mr Adams also denied having any knowledge of the alleged financial transactions linked to the visa arrangements.
“Government money has not been lost,” he said.
