The Ministry of Sports and Recreation has distanced itself from the ongoing visa scandal involving the National Sports Authority (NSA), Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), and TRIBE Culture Fest.
The shocking scandal led to the immediate suspension of Yaw Ampofo Ankrah as the director general of the NSA following a petition by his former unauthorised COO, Yaw Gyamfi, to the Police CID.
Wonder Sitsofe Mandel, special assistant to the minister of sports and recreation, Hon. Kofi Adams, has described efforts of the Hon. Vincent Assifuah to have the minister removed as unfortunate.
The minority caucus member Hon. Assifuah, on Wednesday, October 9, 2026, in a press conference, alleged the sports minister’s involvement in the scandal.
Mandel maintained the innocence of the minister, insisting the letter alleging the minister sent to the consular United States of America’s embassy in Accra requesting visa approval for applicants under fake pretences.
According to Mandel, the NSA, GTA, and TRIBE Culture Fest had their own engagement with the US Embassy on their own without the involvement of the sports authority.
He continued that the ministry engaged the embassy through Ghana’s ministry of foreign affairs in April 2026 ahead of the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in June.
It could be recalled that Hon. Kofi Adams, through the sports ministry, issued a press release warning members of the public against the engagement of unscrupulous agencies that promise visas for applicants.
Months before the World Cup, the government of Ghana had set aside an oversight committee to ensure smooth processes regarding travel arrangements for the World Cup.
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He urged that channels used for visa acquisition by various governmental agencies must not be collapsed into one and pointed at the ministry.
Regarding the NSA’s engagement with TRIBE Culture Fest, Mandel remained adamant the sports ministry was left but had been introduced to the TRIBE in November 2025.
Hon. Kofi Adams, known by some as a very principled professional, was revealed by Mandel to have been the one who recommended the suspension of Yaw Ampofo Ankrah.
