The Ministry of Youth and Sports has clarified the $3.6 million payment made to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) for its services as the official broadcaster of the 13th African Games in Accra this year.
This clarification follows controversy stemming from remarks by the Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, during a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting on August 19, 2024.
The Minister stated that the Ministry had disbursed over $3 million to GBC for the Games’ production and broadcasting services, addressing concerns raised by MP Samuel Nartey George about unpaid technical staff.
In response, GBC Director-General Prof. Amin Alhassan disputed this claim, asserting that GBC only received $105,000 to support the broadcaster’s dedicated channel for the Games, which involved suspending regular programming on GTV Sports Plus.
To address this discrepancy, the Ministry of Youth and Sports released a detailed breakdown of the financial dealings on August 20, 2024. The Ministry explained that several proposals were received for the production and broadcasting rights, with some exceeding $6 million—amounts deemed excessive.
The Ministry chose GBC for its lower bid and commitment to local capacity building and legacy. The total agreed amount for GBC’s services was $3.6 million. This sum was distributed as follows: $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), while the remaining $1 million was paid to third-party service providers as instructed by GBC.
The Ministry reiterated its dedication to transparency and integrity in all financial transactions related to the African Games.
