2026 World Cup: 'Minister’s driver, Chief Director’s secretary still in US' – Minority chases Minister to account

The Minority in Parliament has raised questions over the whereabouts of two individuals it claims travelled to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup under the government’s sponsorship but have allegedly not yet returned to Ghana.

The two, according to the Minority, are the driver of the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, and a secretary at the office of the Ministry’s Chief Director. They were reportedly among the 431 people whose participation in the tournament was financed by the government.

The claim has prompted the Minority to question the government’s assertion that all 431 sponsored travellers have since returned to Ghana.

Speaking to journalists after a briefing by the Ministry, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, said the issue of the Minister’s driver came up during questions put to Mr Adams.

Mr Assafuah identified the driver as Mr Okyere and said the Minister, in response to the question, denied knowing anyone by that name, although he reportedly acknowledged that such a person could be known to him.

The Minority also alleged that a secretary at the office of the Chief Director, identified as Christie, was part of the government-sponsored delegation to the United States but had not returned to Ghana.

Against this background, the Minority is calling on the Minister to publish the names and passport numbers of all 431 persons sponsored to attend the World Cup.

Mr Assafuah said the information would enable the public to verify the identities of the beneficiaries and determine whether all of them had returned to the country.

“We are asking the Minister to publish all the 431 people, their passport number and their names as to whether these people actually returned to Ghana or not,” Mr Assafuah said.

He further challenged the government’s claim that all the sponsored travellers had returned, citing the two individuals identified 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.