Bangkok:Wonder Mandel has disclosed that Yaw Kusi Awere was not an employee of the National Sports Authority (NSA) when he engaged in correspondence with embassies concerning Ghana's 2026 FIFA World Cup visa facilitation.
According to Ghana Web, Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams sought clarification from the then NSA Director-General, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, after the US Embassy presented a list of six individuals to the Ministry. The Minister requested detailed information about these individuals, including their employment dates, staff and payroll numbers, roles, salary levels, and whether they were involved in any specific NSA projects.
The Director-General responded that the six individuals were not regular NSA staff, prompting the Minister to relay this clarification to the relevant authorities. Mandel emphasized that the Minister was actively verifying the identities and employment status of those involved, rather than merely accepting representations made under the NSA's name.
Ampofo Ankrah informed the Minister via WhatsApp that he did not recognize the individuals listed by the US Embassy. Consequently, the Minister communicated to the Embassy that these individuals were not affiliated with the NSA.
Mandel questioned the authority of Yaw Kusi Awere, who had signed correspondence related to the issue, asserting that Awere was not an NSA employee at the time. He further linked the situation to directives issued on February 23 regarding the revocation of appointments deemed irregular, noting that Awere was among those affected.