Residents of the Asuogyaman constituency may face difficulties obtaining U.S. visas following comments made by Pius Enam Hadzide, CEO of the National Youth Authority and NPP parliamentary candidate for the area, Thomas Ampem Nyarko, the incumbent NDC Member of Parliament for Asuogyaman has stated.
Hadzide, while addressing residents of New Senchi, promised to facilitate travel to the U.S. for the 2026 World Cup, similar to his involvement in the controversial 2018 Australia Visa Scandal which led to the deportation of 60 people who impersonated Journalists.
“Even far away from Australia, I facilitated for people to travel there; so vote for me, and I will facilitate for the youths of Asuogyaman to travel to the U.S. during the World Cup. If you, Nananom, desire for your children to travel to America to work and send money back home, or if you are a young person eager to explore opportunities abroad, I promise to support you when I become MP,” Hadzide reportedly said.
Thomas Ampem Nyarko, the incumbent NDC Member of Parliament for Asuogyaman, criticized Hadzide’s remarks, warning that such statements could harm the visa prospects of residents of Asuogyaman and even Ghanaians in general seeking to attend the 2026 World Cup.
“Obviously emboldened by support from the President, Pius Hadzide has boldly confessed to the crime and promised to repeat it if elected as MP. This will only make it harder for eligible Ghanaians to obtain visas from the U.S. Embassy,” Nyarko said.
He further condemned Hadzide’s approach, accusing him of promoting illegal migration and misleading the youth with false promises. “As a leader entrusted with the development of our nation’s young people, it is disappointing to witness such statements that encourage unapproved and potentially illegal means of migration,” Nyarko added.
Thomas Ampem Nyarko also expressed concern about the potential consequences for the youth of Asuogyaman. “What Pius is promising the youth of this constituency is criminal and could lead to arrests, deportations, and travel bans. We don’t want this for our young ones,” he cautioned, urging young people to pursue legal opportunities for travel and work abroad.
Meanwhile, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called for the immediate dismissal and prosecution of Pius Hadzide following his admission of involvement in the 2018 Australia visa scandal and his recent comments about the 2026 World Cup.
At a press conference held in Akosombo, Malik Basintale, the NDC’s Deputy National Communications Officer, also demanded Hadzide’s removal from office and prosecution. “We are calling for his dismissal and immediate prosecution because we have not seen the report. You [the media] have not seen the report. Nobody has seen the report. All we heard was that the CID was investigating the matter. How the investigation ended, we do not know,” Basintale said.
Basintale further criticized Hadzide’s dual aspirations. “You cannot be an MP and at the same time want to be a connection man. Pius seems more interested in his profession as a connection man than in becoming an MP, so he should go and pursue that profession,” Basintale remarked.
He also questioned President Nana Akufo-Addo’s refusal to release the investigation report on the 2018 scandal, accusing the president of shielding Hadzide by clearing him of wrongdoing.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah
