The Minority in Parliament has questioned the government’s claim that all 431 people sponsored to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States have returned to Ghana, alleging that two individuals linked to the Sports Ministry are yet to return.
The Minority claims the two are the driver of the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, identified as Mr Okyere, and a secretary at the office of the Ministry’s Chief Director, identified as Christie.
Addressing journalists after a briefing by the Ministry, Ranking Member on Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, said the caucus specifically raised questions about the Minister’s driver during its engagement with him.
Minister questioned over driver
According to Mr Assafuah, the Minister denied knowing anyone by the name Mr Okyere, although he reportedly acknowledged that he could know the individual.
The Minority further alleged that Christie, a secretary at the office of the Chief Director, travelled to the United States as part of the government-sponsored delegation but has not returned to Ghana.
The allegations have prompted the Minority to demand greater transparency over the government’s World Cup expenditure and the status of the sponsored travellers.
Minority demands names and passport details
Mr Assafuah is calling on the Sports Minister to publish the names and passport numbers of all 431 sponsored travellers to enable Parliament and the public to establish whether they have returned to Ghana.
“We are asking the Minister to publish all the 431 people, their passport number and their names as to whether these people actually returned back to Ghana or not,” Mr Assafuah said.
He also challenged the government’s assertion that all 431 sponsored travellers had returned, citing the two individuals named by the Minority as examples requiring clarification.
“If the government says that all the 431 people that were sponsored by the government all returned back to Ghana, that cannot be the case,” he said.
The claims by the Minority have not, in the information provided, been independently verified, while the government’s position on the specific allegations remains subject to clarification.
