Livestream: Newsfile discusses World Cup visa scandal, beach demolitions, education strikes, BRICS bid

JoyNews’ flagship current affairs programme, Newsfile, is examining four major national issues that have dominated public discussion over the past week.

The discussions will focus on allegations surrounding Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup visa arrangements, demolitions along the La Beach area, strikes disrupting education, and the country’s bid to join the BRICS economic bloc.

Livestream:

World Cup visa controversy: EOCO probe or cover-up?

The programme will examine allegations by the Minority in Parliament over Ghana’s visa arrangements connected to activities surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

At a press conference on Wednesday, October 7, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, alleged that some individuals paid between US$7,000 and US$14,000 for visa processing.

The Minority also questioned the verification of personnel whose names were submitted by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the National Sports Authority (NSA) to the US and Canadian embassies.

It alleged that only two of 50 names submitted by the GTA as media personnel were verified as professional media practitioners, while 15 of 102 names submitted by the NSA were verified as actual employees.

President John Dramani Mahama has asked former NSA Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah to step aside, with Professor Emmanuel Osei Sarpong appointed acting Director-General.

The Ministry of Sports and Recreation has provided a chronology of its engagements, citing correspondence dated January 28, 2026, which it says shows that some arrangements connected to the World Cup fan experience predated its involvement.

The programme will examine the allegations, the responses from the institutions involved and calls for further investigation.

Beach demolitions: Who is accountable?

The second topic will focus on the demolition of structures along the La Beach area in Accra, including La Pleasure Beach and the Polo Beach Club near the Labadi Beach Hotel.

The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has defended the operation, saying it sought the intervention of the National Security Council Secretariat over what it described as persistent unlawful occupation, encroachment and unauthorised activities on the beachfront adjoining the Labadi Beach Hotel and La Palm Royal Beach Hotel.

SSNIT said the two hotels formed part of its investment portfolio and were significant national hospitality and tourism assets that it had a responsibility to protect.

“These assets belong to the workers and pensioners of Ghana,” the Trust stated.

However, Deputy Chief of Staff Stan Dogbe said the operation was not part of the government’s flood mitigation exercise, explaining that it was conducted under National Security supervision at the request of the Labadi Beach Hotel.

The Ghana Journalists Association has also condemned alleged attacks on journalists covering the demolitions and given the Ghana Armed Forces two weeks to account for the actions of its personnel.

Newsfile will examine the circumstances surrounding the operation, questions of accountability and the concerns raised by affected parties.

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Education crisis: Two strikes, who pays the price?

The programme will also discuss the impact of strikes by pre-tertiary teachers and university administrators on Ghana’s education system.

The three pre-tertiary teacher unions — the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) — have been on strike since September 25 over delayed promotions, deprived-area allowances and negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement.

A meeting between the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and union leadership on Tuesday, October 6, ended without an agreement.

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has pledged that the salary grades of at least 51,000 promoted teachers will be validated and their arrears paid by October 16 through a supplementary intervention.

“If by October 30, your promotion arrears are not paid, then I will have no honour,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) has been on strike for more than two months, disrupting administrative services at public universities.

University of Ghana Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Gordon Awandare has warned that the academic calendar could collapse if the strike extends into the following week.

“The reality is that currently many of the systems are not working because they are managed by members of GAUA who are on strike,” he said.

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has also postponed its reopening indefinitely because of the strike.

The discussion will consider the unresolved grievances, the impact on students and the prospects for ending the industrial actions.

Ghana’s BRICS bid: What does it mean for national interest?

The fourth topic will examine Ghana’s formal application to join the BRICS economic bloc, announced by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

The Minority in Parliament has called for an urgent briefing on the decision, seeking clarity on its geopolitical implications and potential consequences for Ghana’s national interests.

The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has questioned why Ghana is seeking full membership rather than following Nigeria’s approach as a BRICS partner country.

“Why is it that we are not taking the path of Nigeria, which is a partner country of BRICS and not a full member?” he asked.

Mr Ablakwa has defended the application, arguing that membership could broaden Ghana’s development and diplomatic options.

“BRICS offers us that opportunity to have options in our development agenda. We value our traditional relationships, but we must have new friends,” he said.

India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar, has welcomed Ghana’s interest, while noting that an expansion decision requires consensus among existing BRICS members.

The panel will examine the potential opportunities and implications of the bid, including its relationship with Ghana’s existing international partnerships.

Newsfile, hosted by Samson Lardy Anyenini, is airing on Joy 99.7 FM, JoyNews and other platforms.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.