The Minority in Parliament has called on President John Mahama to remove the Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA) or require him to step aside while investigations continue into an alleged US$600,000 visa facilitation arrangement linked to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The call was made by the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, during a media briefing on Friday, September 18, 2026.
Assafuah alleged that the NSA Director-General and some staff have been appearing before the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for questioning over the matter.
According to the Minority, a private entity allegedly operated from an NSA facility to facilitate visa-related arrangements for people seeking to travel for the World Cup, with some individuals allegedly charged up to US$8,000.
“We have also received information that individuals were allegedly charged as much as eight thousand dollars each for the assistance with their travel arrangements and that posters advertising these services were prominently displayed at the NSU offices and around the stadium,” he said.
Assafuah questioned why a private entity was allowed to operate from a state sports facility and demanded answers about the money reportedly generated from the arrangement.
“The question is simple. Why was a private entity permitted to operate from a state sports facility to facilitate such transactions? Who authorized it? Who received the money? What service was actually provided and what happened to those who paid but did not get what they were promised?” he asked.
He said the reported questioning of the NSA Director-General and some staff by the CID further justified the Minority’s call for the NSA boss to step aside.
“There is a further development that makes this matter even more serious. The director general of the National Sports Authority and some staff have reportedly been appearing before the criminal investigation department for questioning over the alleged fraudulent World Cup visa facilitation arrangement,” Assafuah said.
He stressed, however, that the Minority was not declaring the NSA Director-General guilty.
“We are not prejudging the outcome of the investigation and we will not declare anyone guilty before the facts are established,” he said.
Assafuah maintained that the head of the institution should not remain in office while being questioned over activities allegedly connected to the NSA.
“When the head of a state institution is being questioned by the police over allegations connected to activities reportedly carried out within or around that institution, the appropriate thing to do is to step aside while the investigation is ongoing,” he said.
The Minority is therefore asking President Mahama to dismiss the NSA Director-General or, at the very least, require him to step aside until the investigation is concluded.
