Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams has rejected calls for his dismissal over alleged irregularities in visa arrangements for supporters and officials ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting that he only became aware of the process in May.
The Buem Member of Parliament’s response follows demands by the Minority in Parliament for his removal and prosecution over the arrangements, which have attracted scrutiny following the suspension of National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah.
At a press conference in Parliament on Wednesday, October 7, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Sports Committee Vincent Ekow Assafuah alleged that some officials had facilitated visa applications for people who were not employees of the Ministry of Sports and Recreation.
Assafuah claimed that a cover letter had been prepared to present outsiders as ministry staff to help them secure visas. The Minority has also called for the dismissal and prosecution of the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) over alleged involvement in the process.
However, Adams denied that his ministry had been involved in the arrangements from the beginning. He said the NSA, GTA, the United States Embassy and TRIBE Culture Fest had handled the process without informing his office.
“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 office would have known about the arrangements if the organisations involved had formally informed it, copied it in their correspondence or submitted their plans for consideration.
He identified a letter dated May 19, which requested that the ministry forward the names of event coordinators and volunteers to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy, as the first time he became aware of the matter.
“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.
Adams explained that the letter was forwarded to the ministry’s Chief Director, who serves on the technical committee overseeing the arrangements.
According to him, the committee had agreed that the names of people expected to perform specific duties at the tournament should be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy to allow the necessary preparations to begin.
He maintained that his role was limited to forwarding the letter through the appropriate administrative channels and denied knowing the alleged financial transactions linked to the process.
“Government money has not been lost,” he said.
The controversy continues to raise questions about how the visa arrangements were handled and the responsibilities of the institutions involved. Adams, however, maintains that his ministry was not informed of the process until the May 19 letter reached his office.
