Abass Nurudeen, Chief Executive Officer of the Social Investment Fund (SIF), has defended President John Dramani Mahama’s response to allegations that people were charged thousands of dollars for visa facilitation linked to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Nurudeen said the controversy should not be treated as proof of government corruption before investigations establish what happened.
He acknowledged that allegations of corruption could arise under any government but argued that the response of the country’s leadership was what mattered.
“No government in this world is made up of angels or saints. So in the lifespan of a government, there are bound to be issues of corruption,” he said.
Nurudeen pointed to the suspension of the National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General and the referral of the matter for investigation as evidence that the government was taking the allegations seriously.
He also urged commentators to exercise restraint while investigators establish the facts, warning that reputations were at stake.
“President Mahama takes a dim view to matters of corruption and will take steps to deal with it regardless of whose ox is gored,” he said.
The controversy centres on allegations that approximately $623,000 was collected from people seeking visa assistance for World Cup-related activities, with some reportedly paying between $8,000 and $10,000. The claims remain subject to investigation
