Minority MP Vincent Ekow Assafuah on 10 October 2026 called for the suspension of Ghana Tourism Authority chief Maame Efua Houadjeto, alleging her agency misrepresented World Cup visa applicants.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Assafuah said a document submitted to the United States Embassy listed more than 30 people as members or affiliates of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) board, though the board has about 11 members.
“Over 30 people were misrepresented to the US Embassy as board members,” he alleged. He said the CEO should step aside so the matter could be investigated without interference.
The claim deepens a controversy over how Ghanaian public institutions handled visa arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Assafuah is the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee and the New Patriotic Party MP for Old Tafo. He also cited a WhatsApp exchange in which, he said, a person who was not on the board admitted obtaining a US visa on that basis. He did not name the individual.
He challenged the Sports Ministry’s account of when it began dealing with the embassy over the tournament. The ministry has said formal engagement started around March or April 2026. Assafuah produced an email dated 3 February 2026 from the embassy’s public diplomacy section, which invited stakeholders to a third World Cup meeting and referred to an earlier meeting on 22 October 2025.
Houadjeto has previously denied involvement in the visa controversy, and the GTA has denied collecting money for US or Canadian visas. A special aide to the Sports Minister said on 10 October that the US Embassy treated the National Sports Authority, the Ghana Football Association and the GTA as separate entities for visa applications. He also said the ministry was not shielding anyone.
Assafuah’s demand is a call for investigation and does not amount to a finding of wrongdoing.
The new allegation adds to claims the Minority made at a press conference on 7 October. There, Assafuah alleged that the US Embassy verified only two of 50 people the GTA submitted as media personnel. The Minority also called for the removal of Sports Minister Kofi Adams and the GTA chief executive.
President John Mahama has asked National Sports Authority Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah to step aside while police investigate the visa arrangements.
