Assafuah Challenges NSA, GTA Over World Cup Visa Arrangements

The controversy over Ghana’s preparations and travel arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has taken a new turn, with Ranking Member of Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, making fresh allegations involving the National Sports Authority (NSA), Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), TRIBE Culture Fest and officials of the Ministry of Sports and Recreation.

Mr Assafuah made the allegations at a press conference on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, where he claimed that newly obtained documents raised concerns about how public institutions may have been represented in dealings with foreign missions over visa arrangements for Ghanaians planning to travel to the tournament.

His claims come shortly after the removal of NSA Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah amid controversy over an alleged visa facilitation arrangement.

The Minority had earlier demanded that Mr Ankrah step aside to allow investigations into the matter.

However, Mr Assafuah argued that his removal should not be considered the end of the issue, insisting that responsibility must be traced beyond one individual.

“The dismissal of Yaw Ampofo Ankrah does not, by itself, resolve the issues before us. Accountability cannot end with one individual.”

Claims of Visa Allocation to GTA and NSA

According to documents referenced by the Minority, discussions surrounding the visa arrangements allegedly involved the United States Embassy, TRIBE Culture Fest, the NSA and the GTA.

The Minority claims that after the engagement, the US and Canadian missions allocated 600 and 400 visa slots respectively to the GTA and NSA.

The slots were reportedly intended for staff and affiliates who were expected to travel in connection with promotional, cultural and World Cup-related activities.

However, the claims presented at the press conference have not been independently verified.

Questions Over NSA and TRIBE Agreement

Mr Assafuah also drew attention to a Memorandum of Understanding reportedly signed between the NSA and TRIBE Culture Fest on June 2, 2025.

According to the Minority, the agreement gave TRIBE Culture Fest access to NSA facilities to carry out approved activities linked to Ghana’s participation in the 2026 World Cup.

The arrangement has raised questions about the extent of access granted to the private organisation and the terms under which it was allowed to operate within public sports facilities.

The Minority is seeking clarification on the authority under which the agreement was entered into and the responsibilities of each party.

Allegations Over Visa and Accommodation Charges

Another major concern raised by the Minority relates to alleged fees paid by individuals seeking assistance with their World Cup travel arrangements.

Mr Assafuah claimed that TRIBE Culture Fest had a separate arrangement with the GTA under which the organisation was expected to assist with visa processing and accommodation for GTA personnel travelling to the United States and Canada.

Under the alleged arrangement, GTA was reportedly expected to pay about US$3,000 per person for US visa-related arrangements and approximately US$2,000 for Canadian arrangements.

However, Mr Assafuah alleged that some people who were not employees of either the GTA or NSA were charged significantly higher amounts.

According to him, the amounts allegedly demanded from some individuals ranged between US$7,000 and US$14,000 per person.

Previous reports had also alleged that some prospective travellers paid as much as US$8,000, with more than US$600,000 reportedly collected in connection with the arrangements.

The allegations have not been conclusively established and remain subject to investigation.

Concerns Over GTA Media List

The Minority also questioned the authenticity and composition of a list of 50 people reportedly submitted by the GTA to the US Embassy as media personnel travelling for World Cup-related activities.

Mr Assafuah alleged that checks by the US Embassy’s Fraud Prevention Unit identified only two people on the list—Philip Narh and Andy Dosty, both associated with Multimedia—as identifiable media practitioners.

The Minority further claimed that some of the individuals included on the list had paid significant sums in relation to the World Cup travel arrangements.

These claims are yet to be independently verified.

Alleged Misrepresentation of NSA Officials

The press conference also brought fresh scrutiny to documents allegedly submitted to foreign missions in which certain individuals were described as officials of the NSA.

Mr Assafuah said an email dated January 28, 2026, and sent to the US Embassy presented 22 people as NSA personnel.

He claimed that a review of the names and positions revealed that some of the designations did not correspond with positions contained in the NSA’s organisational structure.

Among the examples cited was Comfort Ahiadome, who was allegedly presented as Board Secretary.

The Minority said other individuals were also assigned positions it claimed did not exist within the NSA’s official structure.

The Minority further alleged that on March 18, 2026, the US Embassy’s Fraud Prevention Unit raised concerns about four applicants whose stated positions required clarification.

They were identified as Ralph Egyir Quianoo, Belinda Tsey, Francis Frimpong Agyemang and Beryl Joycelyn Baabe Duut.

According to the Minority, the Embassy subsequently requested documentation proving their employment status, after which the NSA reportedly provided a letter confirming their appointments.

Questions Over Canadian Embassy Submission

Mr Assafuah also raised concerns over another list reportedly submitted by the NSA to the Canadian Embassy on June 8, 2026.

The list was said to contain the names of 102 individuals.

However, the Minority claimed that only 15 of those listed could be verified as NSA employees, raising questions about the institutional status of the remaining 87 people.

The Minority also pointed to alleged inconsistencies concerning individuals identified as Sports Development Officers, Security and Protocol Officers and Procurement Officers.

Mr Assafuah said the discrepancies require further investigation to establish who the individuals were, who authorised their inclusion and the basis on which they were presented as NSA personnel.

Minority Demands Answers

The Minority is demanding answers from the institutions involved and has outlined several questions it wants addressed.

Among them are:

• How many GTA employees eventually secured visas through the reported arrangement?
• How many of the 400 US and 600 Canadian visa slots were actually used?
• How many applications were approved and how many were rejected?
• Who authorised the engagement between the public institutions and TRIBE Culture Fest?
• What were the contractual responsibilities of each party, and what services were ultimately delivered?
• Who are the individuals known as “Chase” and “Diesel”, who were allegedly involved in the visa-processing arrangements?
• Was any visa-processing operation established at or near NSA facilities?
• What steps were taken after concerns were reportedly raised by GTA directors regarding accountability?

Calls for Broader Investigation

Mr Assafuah maintained that the removal of Yaw Ampofo Ankrah should not bring the matter to a close.

He argued that any official found to have violated administrative procedures should face the appropriate sanctions.

Where investigations uncover evidence of criminal wrongdoing, he said the matter should be referred to the relevant law-enforcement and prosecutorial authorities.

The Minority is therefore calling for a broader examination of the roles played by officials of the NSA, GTA, Ministry of Sports and Recreation and TRIBE Culture Fest.

The development comes as scrutiny continues over Ghana’s wider arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The NSA has previously denied authorising any visa facilitation or money-collection scheme and has indicated that it would cooperate with lawful investigations.