Abass Nurudeen, an NDC communicator and Chief Executive Officer of the Social Investment Fund (SIF), has cited an earlier visa controversy involving Ghanaian travellers to Australia to challenge the Minority’s criticism of the government over the alleged World Cup visa scheme.
Nurudeen recalled a case involving about 60 people who were presented as journalists to facilitate their travel to Brisbane, although some allegedly had little knowledge of journalism or sports.
“About 60 people were presented as journalists and taken to Brisbane, but some of them did not even know anything about journalism or sports,” Nurudeen argued, referring to the earlier controversy.
He also pointed to the suspension of the official involved and the subsequent investigation into the matter.
“The official was suspended, a committee was set up to investigate the matter, and he was later exonerated,” he said JoyNews’ Newsfile.
Nurudeen questioned the political use of that earlier incident, arguing that the response to the Australia case should be considered alongside the Minority’s current criticism.
His comments come amid allegations that people seeking to travel to the 2026 FIFA World Cup were charged thousands of dollars in visa facilitation fees.
The controversy has raised questions about lists submitted to foreign embassies and the involvement of officials linked to the National Sports Authority and the Ghana Tourism Authority.
The government has suspended the NSA Director-General, while the matter has been referred for investigation.
The Australia controversy and the current allegations concern separate cases. The findings of the earlier investigation do not establish whether wrongdoing occurred in the World Cup visa arrangements.
