The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams to step aside and face parliamentary scrutiny over the alleged irregularities surrounding Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup visa arrangements.
The party’s Communications Director, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, made the call at a press conference on Thursday, October 15, arguing that the minister cannot insist on accountability for officials under his supervision while resisting similar scrutiny himself.
His comments follow the suspension of National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah amid investigations into alleged irregularities involving visa facilitation arrangements linked to the World Cup.
Aboagye questioned the minister’s reported recommendation that the NSA director-general step aside to allow investigations, arguing that the same principle should apply to the minister if his ministry’s conduct is also under scrutiny.
“That principle cannot apply to the director-general and stop at the minister’s door, especially when it was a minister’s own ministry,” he said.
He also challenged the emphasis on whether the minister personally received money, arguing that the absence of evidence of personal financial benefit does not automatically settle questions about possible abuse of office, misrepresentation to foreign governments or negligent supervision.
“Abuse of office, causing misrepresentation to foreign governments, and negligent supervision of an agency do not require that a minister pocketed money,” Aboagye said.
The minister has denied his ministry’s involvement in the disputed arrangements, maintaining that the National Sports Authority, Ghana Tourism Authority, TRIBE Culture Fest and the US Embassy handled the process without his ministry’s knowledge.
He said he became aware of the matter when a letter requesting assistance with the names of event coordinators and volunteers came to his attention.
Aboagye has argued that the ministry cannot effectively defend itself while the circumstances surrounding the arrangements remain under investigation.
The NPP is calling for the minister to step aside and appear before Parliament to answer questions about the controversy. The allegations against the officials and institutions involved remain subject to investigation.
