The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has intensified its demands for accountability over alleged visa irregularities linked to travel arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, calling on Parliament to institute a comprehensive inquiry into the controversy.

The opposition party wants the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) summoned before Parliament to provide explanations regarding the arrangements, amid allegations that more than US$600,000 was collected from individuals seeking visa assistance and travel opportunities for the tournament.

The NPP is also demanding the publication of pertinent contractual documents, a clearly defined timeline for investigations and decisive measures to protect applicants who may have suffered financial losses.

Addressing the media on Thursday, October 15, 2026, the party’s Director of Communications, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, urged Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee to scrutinise the circumstances surrounding the allegations and establish the extent of responsibility, if any, on the part of the institutions and individuals involved.

“Parliament must step in and summon their member who happens to be the Minister for Sports and Recreation, summon the CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority to answer questions on the floor of the House and to the Youth and Sports Committee so that we will have clarity,” he stated.

Mr Aboagye argued that a transparent parliamentary inquiry would help dispel public uncertainty, establish the facts and reassure Ghana’s international partners that any fraudulent conduct, if proven, was not sanctioned by the state.

He further insisted that individuals found culpable must be held accountable, warning against any attempt to allow the controversy to languish without a conclusive determination.

As part of its demands, the NPP is calling for the comprehensive disclosure of documents underpinning the disputed travel arrangements.

The party wants the memorandum of understanding between the National Sports Authority (NSA) and Tribe Culture FEST, the supplementary agreement and the Ghana Tourism Authority’s agreement with the company made available for public scrutiny.

It is also demanding the release of lists submitted to the United States and Canadian embassies, alongside a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated May 28, 2026.

According to Mr Aboagye, the publication of these records would facilitate public scrutiny, clarify the contractual obligations of the entities involved and help establish whether the arrangements were administered in accordance with the applicable procedures.

He also called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide a comprehensive briefing on its engagements with the American and Canadian embassies, including measures being considered to insulate Ghanaian travellers from potential diplomatic or immigration-related repercussions.

The party maintains that transparency is indispensable to resolving the controversy and restoring confidence in the public institutions whose names were associated with the arrangements.

The NPP has expressed concern about the plight of individuals who allegedly remitted money to the Ghana Tourism Authority or the National Sports Authority in anticipation of obtaining visa assistance and travel-related services.

Mr Aboagye urged the government to safeguard the interests of affected applicants, facilitate the recovery of their funds and ensure that any money recovered is refunded to its rightful owners.

“Applicants who paid money to the Tourism Authority or to the National Sports Authority must be protected by the state. Many of them were ordinary Ghanaians who trusted the name of a public institution. They should be invited to come forward without fear and any money recovered returned to them,” he said.

He stressed that applicants who relied on the credibility and perceived authority of public institutions should not be abandoned to bear the financial consequences of any misconduct subsequently established.

The NPP is further demanding a definitive timetable for the investigations and the publication of a comprehensive report upon their conclusion.

Mr Aboagye cautioned that investigations conducted without a clear timeline or publicly discernible outcome could exacerbate suspicions of a cover-up and further erode confidence in the authorities handling the matter.

The opposition party has separately demanded an unequivocal statement from the Presidency regarding the status of National Sports Authority Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, amid conflicting accounts suggesting that he had either been dismissed or suspended pending investigations into the alleged visa scandal.

Mr Aboagye said the Presidency must clarify the precise nature of the administrative action taken against the NSA chief and disclose the conditions, if any, attached to the decision.

He questioned the timing of President John Dramani Mahama’s intervention, contending that the action followed mounting public pressure and sustained calls by the Minority in Parliament for the Director-General’s removal.

According to Mr Aboagye, a petition was submitted to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on September 8, 2026, while the President acted on October 1, after demands for Mr Ampofo Ankrah’s removal had intensified.

The NPP communications director argued that contradictory accounts concerning the Director-General’s employment status had engendered uncertainty and necessitated an authoritative clarification from the Presidency.

“Some official account says that the National Sports Authority Director General, Mr Ampofo Ankrah, has been dismissed. Others say he was suspended pending investigation. Which is which? Ghanaians deserve a clear statement from the Presidency,” he stated.

The party insists that the Presidency must dispel the ambiguity and establish whether the action constitutes a dismissal or a suspension pending the outcome of the investigations.

The controversy centres on allegations of irregularities in visa and travel arrangements involving officials and Ghanaians seeking to travel to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The reported collection of more than US$600,000 from prospective travellers has intensified scrutiny of the roles played by the National Sports Authority, the Ghana Tourism Authority and other entities associated with the arrangements.

The NPP’s demands have consequently placed transparency, institutional accountability and the protection of potentially affected applicants at the centre of the unfolding controversy.

The allegations remain subject to investigation, and the demands for parliamentary scrutiny do not, in themselves, establish wrongdoing by any individual or institution.

Nevertheless, the opposition party maintains that Parliament, the Presidency and the relevant investigative bodies must provide substantive answers, disclose the pertinent documentation and establish the facts surrounding the disputed arrangements.

With questions persisting over the funds allegedly collected, the agreements governing the process and the status of the NSA Director-General, the NPP is insisting that only a transparent investigation, accompanied by a definitive public report, can adequately address the concerns and restore public confidence.