“It Wasn’t Me Shaggy” – Assafuah slams Sports Minister over 90 names sent to US Embassy

The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Sports and Recreation Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has criticised Sports Minister Kofi Adams over the submission of 90 names to the United States Embassy in connection with travel arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Assafuah argues that the minister cannot escape responsibility by claiming that his role was limited to forwarding the list to the embassy without verifying the information it contained.

Speaking on TV3’s NewDay programme on Monday, October 12, 2026, the Old Tafo MP described the minister’s explanation as a sign of incompetence, insisting that the head of a public institution must exercise proper oversight over official submissions.

He cited the account of a man identified as Alex Mensah, who reportedly said he had paid $10,000 for his two sons, Theophilus Danso and Samuel Oketey Borketey. According to Assafuah, the two names appear on the list of 90 people submitted to the US Embassy.

The lawmaker also questioned why the ministry proceeded with the submission despite concerns reportedly raised by the embassy over previous lists containing names of people whose identities could not be verified.

He maintained that such warnings should have prompted the minister and the relevant officials to conduct further checks before sending another list.

Assafuah dismissed the suggestion that the minister merely acted as an intermediary, arguing that public officeholders must be accountable for documents and information submitted under their authority.

The controversy follows allegations that some Ghanaians seeking to travel to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, were charged between $8,000 and $9,000 under arrangements involving the National Sports Authority (NSA), the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and TRIBE Culture Fest.

The reported charges have drawn scrutiny because the official arrangement was said to involve visa-related payments of $3,000 for the United States and $2,000 for Canada.

However, the Ministry of Sports and Recreation has maintained that there is no evidence that Kofi Adams personally collected $8,000, $9,000 or $10,000 from any applicant.

GTA Chief Executive Officer Maame Efua Houadjeto has also denied personal involvement in the alleged sale of visas.

The allegations and competing explanations have intensified calls for accountability and a clearer explanation of how the list was compiled, verified and submitted to the US Embassy.

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