The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has launched a blistering attack on the Mahama-led government over the unfolding USA–Canada World Cup visa scandal, demanding the immediate resignation or removal of the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) pending independent investigations.
At the heart of the controversy are allegations of fabricated public-service designations, questionable visa facilitation arrangements, payments running into hundreds of thousands of dollars and correspondence involving the National Sports Authority (NSA), the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, the GTA and a private entity, TRIBE Culture Fest.
The Coomunications Dirrctor of the NPP, Dennis Miracles Aboagye at a press conferrnce said the scandal has gone far beyond an administrative lapse at the NSA and raises serious questions about ministerial oversight, the integrity of Ghana’s official correspondence with foreign missions and the possible abuse of public office.
In a strongly worded press statement signed by its National Communications Director, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, the NPP insisted that the suspension or removal of one official cannot bring the matter to a close while other institutions whose correspondence allegedly featured in the arrangements remain under scrutiny.
“Ghana’s name is not for sale,” the party declares, demanding that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and other competent authorities investigate the matter without fear or favour.
The allegations are grave. Their full implications, however, must be established through an independent investigation, with all persons implicated given the opportunity to respond.
US$600,000 VISA MONEY: WHO COLLECTED IT?
One of the most troubling aspects of the controversy is the reported collection of more than US$600,000 from applicants seeking visa facilitation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States and Canada.
According to the NPP’s account of the documents, a supplementary arrangement dated January 19, 2026, provided for payments of US$3,000 per person for US visa processing and US$2,000 for Canadian visa processing, expressly for NSA personnel.
The arrangement reportedly required payment regardless of whether a visa was granted.
However, the NPP alleges that some applicants were charged between US$8,000 and US$14,000, substantially exceeding the stated contractual rates. It further cites an allegation that one applicant made a part-payment approaching US$20,000.
If established, the disparity between the contractual rates and the amounts allegedly collected would raise urgent questions about who determined the charges, who received the money, whether the payments were properly authorised and whether any funds were diverted.
The NPP is demanding a comprehensive financial investigation to establish the total amount collected, identify every recipient and intermediary, trace the movement of funds and determine whether applicants are entitled to refunds.
The reported US$600,000 figure has also been acknowledged by the Sports Minister, according to the NPP statement.
But the central question remains unanswered in the material presented by the opposition: Who collected the money, where did it go, and who ultimately benefited?
87 OUT OF 102 NAMES: THE DOCUMENTS UNDER SCRUTINY
The controversy deepened following an alleged submission to the Canadian authorities on June 8, 2026.
The NPP says the NSA Director-General submitted a list containing 102 names after the Canadian mission requested a fresh and accurate account of the applicants’ employment status and official roles.
Of those 102 individuals, the opposition claims that only 15 were verified as NSA personnel, leaving 87 whose employment status was allegedly not substantiated.
The NPP further alleges that some applicants were assigned titles such as “Chaplain” and “Head of Security”, raising questions about who created the designations and the basis on which they were presented to foreign diplomatic officials.
These allegations, if substantiated, could have serious implications for the credibility of the institutions involved.
Foreign missions depend on accurate information when assessing visa applications, particularly where applicants claim official employment, government sponsorship or institutional backing.
Any deliberate misrepresentation of employment status would therefore warrant thorough scrutiny.
The authorities must establish who compiled the list, who approved it, what verification was conducted and whether officials knowingly submitted inaccurate information.
Those are questions that cannot be answered conclusively through political statements or institutional denials. They require the underlying records and testimony from the people involved.
US EMBASSY RAISES RED FLAGS
The NPP’s account places particular emphasis on correspondence allegedly exchanged between the NSA and the United States Embassy.
According to the opposition, the NSA’s Chief Operating Officer sent an email on January 28, 2026, introducing 22 people as NSA staff.
The party claims that the list included a purported board secretary and procurement officers whose positions did not correspond with the Authority’s actual staffing structure.
More seriously, the NPP says the US Embassy’s Fraud Prevention Unit flagged four applicants on March 18, 2026, over positions that allegedly did not exist at the NSA and requested proof of employment.
The opposition further claims that the NSA responded that same day with a letter confirming the appointments.
If the documents support this account, investigators must determine whether the employment claims were accurate, who authorised the response and what evidence was supplied to substantiate the appointments.
The question is not simply whether visa applications were unsuccessful or whether individuals were eligible to travel.
It is whether official Ghanaian institutions supplied accurate information to foreign diplomatic missions and whether public officers complied with their duties when responding to requests for verification.
That distinction is crucial.
SPORTS MINISTRY’S LETTER UNDER FIRE
The Ministry of Sports and Recreation has also come under intense scrutiny over a letter allegedly sent to the US Embassy on May 28, 2026.
The letter reportedly bore the heading: “Request for Ministerial Support and Visa Facilitation Consideration for NSA Volunteers/Event Coordinators” and transmitted a list of approximately 90 names.
The NPP argues that a ministry’s decision to forward such a list under its official letterhead raises questions about the degree of endorsement implied and the checks undertaken before the information was sent.
The party also challenges the Ministry’s explanation that forwarding the list amounted only to a technical review rather than an endorsement of the applicants.
The opposition wants the Ministry to explain precisely what it knew about the individuals, what records it examined and whether it independently verified their employment status.
It has also questioned the Ministry’s account that genuine NSA and Ministry staff were processed through a separate diplomatic channel.
If genuine public officers were processed separately, who were the people on the other list, and why were they presented under the authority of state institutions?
That is among the central questions the government must answer.
The Minister and the Ministry must be given the opportunity to respond fully to the specific allegations, while investigators independently establish whether the procedures followed were lawful and proper.
The NPP insists that the Minister for Sports and Recreation cannot be excluded from scrutiny when correspondence from his own Ministry is part of the controversy.
The NPP says the Ministry’s public defence has concentrated on whether the Minister personally benefited financially rather than addressing the wider questions of supervision, verification and institutional responsibility.
According to the party, the absence of established personal financial benefit would not, by itself, settle questions about whether proper oversight was exercised.
It argues that the same principle invoked in recommending that the NSA Director-General step aside should apply to other officials whose institutions are being investigated.
The NPP is therefore demanding that Kofi Iddie Adams step aside or be relieved of his position pending a full investigation.
It has made a similar demand concerning the GTA chief executive, arguing that the Authority’s alleged relationship with TRIBE Culture Fest and its involvement in the wider visa arrangements require independent examination.
TRIBE CULTURE FEST DEAL: THE CONTRACT THAT RAISES QUESTIONS
Another critical strand of the controversy concerns the relationship between the NSA and TRIBE Culture Fest.
The NPP points to a memorandum of understanding dated June 2, 2025, which it says granted the private entity exclusive operational access to NSA facilities.
The NPP argues that this arrangement contradicts earlier explanations that TRIBE merely rented facilities like any other private organisation.
It also cites the January 19, 2026 supplementary arrangement on visa facilitation payments as evidence that the relationship extended beyond an ordinary facility-rental agreement.
Investigators must establish the precise terms of the agreements, the authority under which they were signed, the services TRIBE was contracted to provide, the payment arrangements and the safeguards against misrepresentation or financial abuse.
The GTA’s relationship with TRIBE also requires clarification.
In its October 9 statement, the Authority reportedly denied collecting money and addressed questions concerning the definition of media practitioners.
The NPP contends that this response did not adequately address the specific questions it has raised about the GTA’s agreement with TRIBE, the public funds allegedly committed, visa allocations and the scrutiny of a list of purported media practitioners.
The Authority should publish the relevant agreements and provide a detailed account of its role.
A denial of collecting money does not, on its own, resolve every question concerning institutional involvement. Equally, an allegation of involvement does not establish wrongdoing.
The documents and financial records must determine the facts.
The scandal has implications beyond sports administration.
The NPP warns that allegations involving official employment claims and visa facilitation could damage confidence in documents submitted by Ghanaian institutions to foreign missions.
The consequences of any loss of confidence could extend to ordinary travellers whose applications have nothing to do with the controversy.
Students seeking educational opportunities, businesspeople travelling for commercial engagements, families attending weddings and funerals, and genuine sports officials should not bear the consequences of misconduct by others.
There is, however, an important distinction between the potential reputational risks identified by the opposition and any actual changes to visa procedures imposed by the United States or Canada.
The government must establish whether either mission has raised formal concerns about the conduct of Ghanaian institutions, whether additional verification measures have been introduced and what steps are being taken to protect legitimate travellers.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should brief the public on its engagement with both diplomatic missions.
The government must also clarify the status of individuals who travelled under the disputed arrangements and establish whether any remain abroad beyond their authorised periods of stay.
The NPP alleges that some travellers, including people reportedly connected to officials, have not returned to Ghana. Their identities, immigration status and circumstances must be independently verified before conclusions are drawn.
The NPP has questioned the government’s handling of the NSA leadership issue, pointing to what it describes as inconsistent accounts of the status of Yaw Ampofo Ankrah.
The party says some official accounts described him as dismissed, while others indicated that he had been suspended pending investigations.
It wants the Presidency to issue an unequivocal statement clarifying his status and outlining the action taken against other NSA officials named in the disputed correspondence.
The opposition further argues that leaving the matter solely to the Criminal Investigations Department would be insufficient given the alleged financial transactions, possible abuse of public office and questions surrounding dealings with foreign diplomatic missions.
It is demanding the formal involvement of the OSP and EOCO, alongside the CID, to investigate possible offences within their respective mandates.
It also wants Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee to conduct a public inquiry and summon the Sports Minister and GTA chief executive to answer questions.
The party has petitioned the OSP, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), and the Presidency, according to its statement dated October 15, 2026.
It is also calling for a Commission of Inquiry to establish the full circumstances surrounding the scandal.
NINE DEMANDS FOR ANSWERS
The NPP has set out nine principal demands:
The Sports Minister must step aside pending a full investigation.
The GTA chief executive must also step aside while the Authority’s role is examined.
The OSP and EOCO must be formally involved, alongside the CID, with particular attention to tracing payments.
The Presidency must clarify Yaw Ampofo Ankrah’s status and disclose the action taken against other NSA officials implicated in the correspondence.
Parliament must summon
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must brief the nation on engagements published, including the NSA–TRIBE MOU, supplementary arrangement, GTA–TRIBE agreement, embassy lists and ministerial letter.
Applicants who paid must be protected, encouraged to cooperate with investigators and refunded where the evidence measures are necessary to establish the truth and prevent the scandal from being reduced to the removal of a single official.
WORLD CUP et arrangements.
In its statement, the party cites the Sports Minister’s account to Parliament that the State spent approximately US$1.26 million on 2,922 match tickets, intended in part for Ghanaian students and genuine supporters.
It alleges that some tickets purchased with taxpayers’ money were subsequently resold to students and supporters who should have benefited from the original allocation.
The party claims that officials and social media influencers aligned with the governing NDC were involved and promises to release further details verification. The identity of the individuals involved, the ticket allocation records, the prices charged and the movement of any proceeds must be established before responsibility can be assigned.
If public funds were used to purchase tickets that were subsequently resold improperly, the matter would warrant its own transparent investigation.
For now, the visa answers rather than competing press statements.
Who compiled the lists submitted to the US and Canadian missions?
What evidence supported the employment claims made on behalf of the applicants?
Who authorised the disputed visa facilitation arrangements?
How much money was collected, who received it and where did the funds go?
What was the precise role of TRIBE Culture Fest, the NSA, the GTA and the Ministry of Sports and Recreation?
What did the relevant officials know when the lists were submitted, and what steps did they take after questions were raised about the applicants’ employment status?
Finally, what engagement has the government had with the US and Canadian missions to address the allegations and protect Ghana’s diplomatic credibility?
Until those questions are answered, the public will remain entitled to demand a full accounting of what happened.
NATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY TEST
The NPP says the scandal exposes a contradiction between the government’s public commitment to accountability under its “Reset Ghana” agenda and its handling of allegations involving public Officials..
