New Patriotic Party (NPP) communications team member Stephen Fiifi Boafo has described the alleged 2026 World Cup visa scandal as the worst visa-related scandal Ghana has ever experienced.
He said allegations of extortion involving Ghanaians seeking to travel for the tournament were shameful and embarrassing and had significantly damaged the country’s international reputation.
Speaking on TV3’s The KeyPoints on Saturday, October 10, 2026, Mr Boafo recalled the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s criticism of visa procurement arrangements for international sporting events while in opposition.
Mr Boafo said the emergence of similar allegations under the current administration was particularly troubling.
“After what the NDC said about Ghana’s participation in international sporting activities and how visas are procured, the last thing we expected was to have this in our hands, and I think it’s the worst the country has experienced ever,” he said.
The comments follow allegations that some Ghanaians seeking to travel for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, were charged between $8,000 and $9,000 under arrangements involving the National Sports Authority (NSA), the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and private partner TRIBE Culture Fest.
The reported charges were above the amounts stated in an official agreement, which reportedly set visa-related fees at $3,000 for the United States and $2,000 for Canada.
The Minority in Parliament has also alleged that only 15 of 102 names submitted to the Canadian Embassy as NSA staff could be verified. It further claimed that approximately $623,000 was collected in facilitation fees.
Mr Boafo, a former Director of Public Affairs at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), called for immediate action to address the allegations and restore public confidence.
“This is a shame, it’s embarrassing, and it is one that requires immediate action to help us repair the damage that it has caused to our country,” he said.
He argued that the controversy extended beyond the financial allegations, warning that Ghana’s international standing was also at risk.
Mr Boafo urged the President and the government to take decisive action to demonstrate that the State was not involved in the alleged racketeering.
“A huge damage has been done to our image as a country. The least expected is for the President and government to act in a manner that will give everybody a clear indication that this is not a State-sponsored racketeering activity, so that the image of our country will be repaired. Our country’s reputation is at stake,” he said.
By:Rachael Djabakie