Sports Ministry Seeks Refund of Leone Stars and U-20 Funds from Former NSA Executive Director

The Ministry of Sports has requested the return of funds from the former Executive Director of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Dr. Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai.

In a letter signed by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Swahilu Jusu, Dr. Abdulai was asked to refund monies that were remitted for the use of Sierra Leone’s senior national football team, Leone Stars, including Le3,869,948 allocated for the Azerbaijan FIFA Series, as well as funds disbursed for the country’s participation in the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 qualification campaign.

According to the ministry, the request forms part of efforts to enforce compliance with the Financial Management Reform (FMR) Act and strengthen accountability in the management of public funds. The Permanent Secretary urged Dr. Abdulai to comply with the directive.

Dr. Abdulai has not publicly commented on the request.

Dr. Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai was replaced as Executive Director of the NSA with Mohamed Alphaka Conteh earlier this year. While the reason for his replacement hasn’t been made public, some believe that it is a decision by the Government of Sierra Leone to restructure the leadership of the Authority after concerns over administrative and governance issues within the NSA, with the Ministry of Sports stating that the changes were aimed at improving the management and development of sports in the country.