Kofi Adams, the Minister for Sports and Recreation, has insisted that there is justification for calls for his removal over alleged irregularities in visa arrangements for Ghanaian supporters and officials over the 2026 World Cup visa scandal.
According to Kofi Adams, there’s no justification to dismiss him over the World Cup visa scandal, insisting that no government money has been lost.
In a GHOne NEWS card, Kofi Adams stated, “There’s no justification to dismiss me over the World Cup visa scandal, because no government money has been lost”.
Also, Kofi Adams has insisted that the Sports Ministry was unaware of the process until a letter concerning event coordinators and volunteers was brought to his attention.
The Sports Minister disclosed that the National Sports Authority, the GTA, the United States Embassy and TRIBE Culture Fest had handled the arrangements without the Ministry’s knowledge.
He stated, “Well, I don’t see the justification. Both the American Embassy and TRIBE Culture Fest, the NSA and the GTA were doing their thing behind the Ministry. The Ministry didn’t know”.
“The first time I ever sat and had a conversation in relation to that matter was when the May 19 letter requested the forwarding of event coordinators and volunteers to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy. That’s when I got to know the details of what was happening,” he said.
Kofi Adams revealed that the letter was forwarded to the Ministry’s Chief Director, who serves on the technical committee overseeing the arrangements.
According to Kofi Adams, the committee had agreed that the names of individuals expected to perform specific duties related to the World Cup be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy, maintaining that his role was limited to forwarding the letter through the appropriate administrative channels and that he had no knowledge of the alleged financial transactions.
“Government money has not been lost,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nana Boateng Gyimah, the Chief Executive Officer of Tribe Culture Fest, has demanded that the Sports Minister, Kofi Adams, provide evidence following his claims that people associated with the organisation received US$611,000 in connection with visa arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Tribe Culture Fest CEO, in a statement, denied the allegation, claiming that his company’s agreement was with the National Sports Authority (NSA) and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA).
He further categorically denied the allegations that the Tribe Culture Fest illegally received US$611,000 and is avoiding a refund.
According to Nana Boateng Gyimah, Tribe Culture did not receive the alleged US$611,000 from any private individual in connection with the arrangements in question.
He further challenged the Sports Minister to produce the evidence supporting his claims.
Parts of the statement read, “I categorically deny the allegations attributed to the Minister for Sports, Kofi Adams, that Tribe Culture Fest or I illegally received US$611,000 and are avoiding a refund”.
“For the record, Tribe Culture’s agreement was solely with the National Sports Authority and Ghana Tourism Authority. Neither I nor Tribe Culture Fest received the alleged US$611,000 from any private individual in connection with the arrangements in question”.
“I challenge the Minister to produce the evidence supporting his claims. He must provide any agreement, authorisation or consent involving me or Tribe Culture that establishes the alleged financial arrangement. He must also provide verifiable payment records showing who paid the money, who received it, when it was paid and how he arrived at the US$611,000,” he said.
Gyimah warned that the allegations could damage his reputation and the integrity of Tribe Culture Fest.
“My reputation and the integrity of Tribe Culture must not be undermined by unsubstantiated public accusations. I call on the Minister to substantiate his allegations or withdraw them and correct the public record, or have my lawyers deal with the matter,” the statement concluded.
See the post below:
There’s no justification to dismiss me over the World Cup visa scandal, because no government money has been lost… – Kofi Adams (Sports Minister) #EIBNetwork #GHOneTV #GHOneNews #NewsAlert https://t.co/9SgA7NS4mf
— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) October 14, 2026
@ghnow_ Part 3: National Security officers have arrested a group of people allegedly involved in illegal sand winning at Sewua along the Accra–Kumasi Highway. The arrests follow the grading of the road’s right of way by military engineers ahead of the commencement of construction works. #GHNow #GhanaNews #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Part 1: National Security officers have arrested a group of people allegedly involved in illegal sand winning at Sewua along the Accra–Kumasi Highway. The arrests follow the grading of the road’s right of way by military engineers ahead of the commencement of construction works. #GHNow #GhanaNews #fyp ♬ original sound – Nkz_Lyrics & Caption – DJ NKAY HUB
