Acting Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Prof. Emmanuel Osei Sarpong, has raised concerns about staff being assigned to positions for which they lack the necessary qualifications, as the Authority considers redistributing personnel to improve its operations.
In an interview with Citi Sports, Prof. Sarpong said some employees are underutilised in their current roles, while other regions face severe staff shortages that affect their ability to function effectively.
Prof. Osei Sarpong cited the North East Region as an example, disclosing that the NSA has only one staff member serving the entire region.
“In the North East Region, you have only one person for the whole region. So how do you be effective? What kind of report do you expect from a one-man regional director, one-man regional accountant, so it’s everything,” he said.
He said management, working with the Human Resource Department, is considering how to deploy staff based on their qualifications, expertise and the needs of different regions.
“I believe some NSA staff are assigned to positions for which they are underqualified or do not have the required qualifications,” he said
The review is expected to identify employees whose skills are underutilised and redeploy them to areas where they can contribute more effectively.
“It is very important that we look at our human resource capacity to find out if there are people who are being made redundant because of the number of specialities in that area. We can be issuing them to the areas where they can be very effective,” he said.
Prof. Osei Sarpong stressed that the proposed transfers would be driven by operational needs, not intended to punish staff. He said management must explain the reasons for moving employees, particularly those transferred from Accra to other regions.
“If I call you as a staff member, and I tell you, Mr. A, Madam A, you have been in Accra, I will believe that your expertise will be needed at this place. If we send you there, you will be more productive as a person, and it will also help in the growth of the entity,” he explained.
He acknowledged that some employees view transfers as punishment, making clear communication essential to the exercise.
“In Ghana, sometimes people think that when you transfer them, you are punishing them,” he said.
Prof. Osei Sarpong added that improving staff deployment would help make the NSA more self-sufficient and strengthen its role as the technical arm of the Ministry of Sports and Recreation.
🎥 🇬🇭 “I believe some NSA staff are assigned to positions for which they are underqualified or do not have the required qualifications.”
Acting National Sports Authority Boss, Prof. Emmanuel Osei Sarpong.
#CitiSports https://t.co/T9cuhFzN1T
— Citi Sports (@CitiSportsGHA) October 20, 2026
