The Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has requested employment and employee data from the Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, following media reports that the Board has directed him to revoke the appointment of 17 staff members recruited without due process.

The directive was issued during a meeting on 23 February between the Minister, the NSA Board and the Director General.

Though Joy Sports' sources indicated that the directive was for the revocation of the staff appointment, officials of the Ministry say the data of employment and employees was what the Minister requested for.

Earlier, on 9 February 2026, Muftawu Nabila Abdulai reported that the NSA Board had asked Mr Ankrah to cancel the appointments after it emerged that the recruits were employed without the required clearance.

The Board had initially set a 6 February deadline for the revocation, following a retreat in Ada.

It is understood this was the second time the Board had made the request. Sources say some of the positions filled do not exist within the NSA’s approved organisational structure.

One of the roles reportedly created was that of Chief Operations Officer (COO).

Sources also indicate that Mr Ankrah was reluctant to revoke the appointments, prompting tension between the Board and management. There were claims the Board considered further action if the directive was not followed.

In response to the earlier publication on social media, Mr Ankrah defended the recruitment, stating that the new staff contributed to Ghana’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

There are further claims that some of the newly recruited staff were given authority above that of existing Deputy Director Generals.

Sources claim the COO now has until Thursday, February 26 to exit office.

The developments have also affected some longstanding staff. The former Head of Security at the NSA, Thomas Kumordzi, was reportedly reassigned to the Borteyman Sports Complex — a facility not under the direct control of the NSA. When he reported to the new post, facility managers are said to have redirected him back to the stadium.

Several staff members at the Authority claim they have effectively been sidelined. Some allege that internal communication has been limited and that key operational decisions are now being handled largely by the newly appointed personnel.

Under Ghana’s public sector regulations, recruitment requires clearance from the Public Services Commission and the Ministry of Finance. Vacancies must also be publicly advertised, and applicants interviewed by a duly constituted panel.

When these steps are followed, recruited staff are paid through the Controller and Account General.

Bypassing these procedures breaches established administrative guidelines.

Currently, it is unclear how the newly recruited are paid. Checks on how they are paid were unsuccessful though some officers claim payments have not been issued through the NSA accounts because they do not have a clearance from the Finance Ministry.

The Minister had earlier sought a meeting to resolve the matter, but Mr Ankrah was reportedly out of the country in the United Kingdom and returned on 17 February.

The February 23 meeting resolved the matter as Mr Ankrah was told to adhere to the Board’s directive.

Joy Sports understands when their appointments are revoked, they are free to reapply when the NSA is recruiting, but they will go through the standard procedure as recruitment will be merit-based.

The NSA currently has about 121 staff at its headquarters.

Meanwhile, the public address (PA) system at the national stadium has not been functioning for some time. The Authority is said to hire external equipment during matches.