Ranking Member of Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee and Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has called for the removal of Youth and Sports Minister Kofi Iddie Adams following the dismissal of Yaw Ampofo Ankrah as Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA).
Mr Assafuah argues that removing the NSA Director-General alone does not address the broader accountability concerns surrounding the Authority, insisting that responsibility must also extend to the sector Minister.
“The sacking of Yaw Ampofo Ankrah does not, by itself, resolve the issues at the centre of this matter. The buck ultimately stops with the Minister,” he stated.
The MP said the Minister could not be detached from the circumstances that led to Mr Ampofo Ankrah’s removal and urged President John Dramani Mahama to take further action.
“While we remain grateful to the President for heeding to our call and sacking Mr Ampofo Ankrah, it is imperative to note that accountability is the objective, and it must not stop at the most convenient target,” Mr Assafuah said.
He added: “The Minister must also take responsibility and be sacked for his role in the mess at the NSA. Anything short of that risks treating the symptom while leaving the underlying problem untouched.”
President Mahama recently asked Mr Ampofo Ankrah to step aside as Director-General of the NSA after months of scrutiny over the management of Ghana’s sporting facilities and allegations surrounding visa facilitation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Professor Emmanuel Osei Sarpong, an Associate Professor of Physical Education and Sports at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), has been appointed Acting Director-General.
The change in leadership comes amid an ongoing police investigation into allegations that individuals seeking assistance with visa and travel arrangements for the World Cup were charged substantial sums of money.
The Minority in Parliament had alleged that more than US$600,000 was collected from applicants, with some reportedly charged as much as US$8,000.
Mr Ampofo Ankrah and other NSA officials were subsequently reported to have been questioned by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) as part of the investigation.
The NSA has denied authorising any visa facilitation or money-collection scheme and has maintained that the allegations are false. Its legal team has also indicated that the Authority is cooperating with the investigation.
The controversy has also intensified concerns over the condition of major sporting facilities, including the Accra Sports Stadium and Baba Yara Sports Stadium, and their suitability to host major sporting events.
President Mahama dissolved the NSA’s governing board on September 2, 2026. Mr Ampofo Ankrah, who was a member of the dissolved board, continued to oversee the Authority’s day-to-day operations until his removal.
With Professor Sarpong now at the helm, attention is expected to turn to the management of the Authority, the state of the country’s sporting infrastructure and the outcome of the ongoing investigations.
For Mr Assafuah, however, the leadership change at the NSA must be accompanied by broader accountability at the ministerial level.
By 1960news.com
