The Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, has rejected calls for his removal over alleged irregularities in visa arrangements for supporters and officials ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting that his ministry was unaware of the process until May.
The Buem MP’s response follows demands by the Minority in Parliament for his dismissal and prosecution over the alleged arrangements, which have come under scrutiny following the suspension of National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah.
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 facilitated visa applications for individuals who were not employees of the Ministry of Sports and Recreation.
Mr 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 arrangements.
However, Mr Adams denied having prior knowledge of the process, saying the NSA, GTA, United States Embassy and TRIBE Culture Fest had handled the arrangements without informing 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 ministry would have been aware of the arrangements if the organisations involved had informed it, copied it in their correspondence or formally presented their plans.
He identified a letter dated May 19, requesting 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.
Mr Adams explained that the letter was forwarded to the ministry’s Chief Director, who serves on the technical committee overseeing the arrangements.
He said the committee had agreed that the names of individuals expected to perform specific duties at the World Cup should be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy to allow preparatory processes to begin.
The minister maintained that his involvement was limited to forwarding the letter through the appropriate administrative channels and denied having knowledge of the alleged financial transactions.
“Government money has not been lost,” he said.
