World Cup visa scandal: Senyo Hosi urges focus on constitutional accountability

Convener of the OneGhana Movement and Trustee of the Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey, Senyo Hosi, has called for the controversy surrounding Ghana’s visa arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be treated as a test of constitutional accountability, rather than a debate over whether the Sports Minister should resign.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 10, Mr Hosi said he was disappointed that Ghana appeared to be repeating past mistakes, warning that the issue had implications for the country’s reputation, public trust and the values being passed on to future generations.

He stressed that the matter went beyond visa processing, arguing that public officials must uphold the principles of probity, accountability and compliance with the law.

Citing Article 232 of the 1992 Constitution, which establishes the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), he called for administrative bodies and public officials to act fairly and reasonably and comply with their legal obligations.

Mr Hosi also questioned what the controversy would teach young people, particularly given previous political criticism of similar incidents under earlier administrations.

He said the focus should not be limited to calls for the Sports Minister’s resignation, but should instead centre on establishing the facts and ensuring accountability.

Mr Hosi defended the Minority’s right to scrutinise the matter, saying it was performing its parliamentary oversight role, although he urged the caucus to remain balanced and fair in its approach.

His comments follow allegations by the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, that some individuals paid between US$7,000 and US$14,000 for visa processing linked to World Cup-related activities.

The Minority has also questioned the verification of personnel lists submitted by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the National Sports Authority (NSA) to the US and Canadian embassies. It alleged that only two of 50 names submitted by the GTA as media personnel were verified as professional media practitioners, while 15 of 102 names submitted by the NSA were confirmed as actual employees.

President John Dramani Mahama has asked former NSA Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah to step aside, with Professor Emmanuel Osei Sarpong appointed acting Director-General.

The Ministry of Sports and Recreation has also provided a chronology of its engagements, citing correspondence dated January 28, 2026, which it says shows that some arrangements connected to the World Cup fan experience predated its involvement.

Mr Hosi said Ghanaians should be able to trust their governments regardless of whether the New Patriotic Party or the National Democratic Congress is in power, insisting that public officials must work to fulfil citizens’ aspirations.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.