News:
November 6, 2026
* Ranking Member Demands Answers on Data, Finances, and “National Embarrassment”
The government is under mounting pressure to account for a controversial World Cup raffle, with a senior opposition lawmaker describing the scheme as a “symbol of national embarrassment” and alleging it has been used to collect citizens’ money and personal data through dubious channels.
Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, delivered a scathing address demanding immediate transparency over the raffle, which he linked to an ongoing visa scandal. He stressed that the concerns transcended football, framing the issue as a fundamental breach of the social contract regarding the use of state institutions to collect money and identity documents from citizens.
“The protection of their personal data and the duty of every public institution to account for each cedi—based in the name of the nation—those are the terms of the social contract,” Asafuah stated.
Key Demands for Disclosure
The Ranking Member issued a series of demands, calling for the National Authority and the Ministry of Sports and Recreation to publish their official draw procedures, dates, and full records. Specifically, he is demanding to know how many millions entered the raffle, the total amount collected, and the methodology used to select winners.
Asafuah demanded the publication of a “verifiable list” of the 220 declared winners and explanations regarding what he termed “fake codes” and the verification process.
A central point of contention was the disclosure of official communication channels. Asafuah questioned why winners were allegedly directed to provide passport details via a foreign private WhatsApp number with the Mali country code (+223), rather than an official Ghanaian channel.
“Who controls that number and where the passport [details] collected are now stored? How many winners actually traveled? What happened to the rest?” he asked.
Financial and Contractual Scrutiny
The lawmaker also demanded transparency regarding the financial arrangements behind the advertised price. He called on the government to reveal whether the National Lottery Authority (NLA) licensed or partnered with the government’s “Ghana 2026” initiative, and to publish the operators’ contract and the identity of the individuals running “GH World Cup raffle dot com.”
Furthermore, Asafuah demanded an account of 2,922 tickets, asking whether public funds were used, how many went to raffle winners, and whether they were ever used. He also requested the publication of the Bonanza’s ticket sales, prices, funds, and charitable transfers, along with evidence of prize delivery.
“If prizes were delivered, show evidence. If not, tell us why and who chopped the money,” he challenged.
Calls for Audit and Compensation
The Ranking Member called for full compensation for Ghanaians he says were deceived by the scheme. He urged the Auditor General to conduct a special audit of both the November 4th raffle and the March 18th, 2026 raffle, as well as the World Cup fund.
Additionally, he called on Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee to take evidence on the raffles alongside the visa scandal inquiry, and urged the Data Protection Commission to investigate how winners’ passport and personal data were collected, stored, and shared.
“This government, which has already painted Ghana’s image worldwide with visa racketeering, must be forced to do the needful. Enough of the lies,” Asafuah concluded.
Ghanamps.com