The Ministry of Youth and Sports has provided clarification on the payments made to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) for its role as the official broadcaster of the 13th African Games held in Accra earlier this year.
This clarification comes after controversy arose from remarks made by Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif during a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) session on Monday, August 19, 2024.
During the PAC session, the Sports Minister stated that the Ministry had paid GBC over $3 million for its production and broadcasting services for the Games.
This statement was in response to a query from Samuel Nartey George, MP for Ningo-Prampram, who raised concerns about unpaid debts to technical staff who worked on the event.
However, GBC’s Director-General, Prof. Amin Alhassan, publicly disputed the Minister’s claim, asserting that GBC had only received $105,000.
He explained that this amount was intended to support GBC’s decision to dedicate an entire channel to the African Games, resulting in the suspension of regular programming on GTV Sports Plus.
In response to the conflicting statements, the Ministry of Youth and Sports issued a detailed breakdown of the financial arrangements with GBC on Tuesday, August 20, 2024.
According to the Ministry, several proposals were submitted by various stakeholders for the production and broadcasting rights of the 13th African Games, with some proposals exceeding $6 million—amounts the Ministry considered excessive.
To build local capacity and create a lasting legacy after the Games, the Ministry chose to engage GBC as the official broadcaster, partly because GBC’s financial proposal was the most cost-effective among those received.
“The Ministry of Youth and Sports, through the Local Organising Committee, received proposals from various stakeholders for the production and broadcasting rights for the 13th African Games,” the Ministry stated in a press release.
“Some organizations submitted proposals in excess of $6 million, which the Ministry considered excessive.”
The Ministry clarified that the total amount agreed upon for GBC’s services was $3.6 million. Of this, $2.5 million was paid directly to GBC in two installments: $1 million on March 13, 2024, and $1.5 million on May 22, 2024.
The remaining $1 million was paid directly to third-party service providers, as directed by GBC, in accordance with the contractual agreement.
The Ministry emphasized its commitment to transparency and accountability, ensuring that all financial transactions were conducted with the utmost integrity.
