Recent discussions at a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting have revealed discrepancies in the financial dealings between the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports regarding coverage of the 13th All African Games, raising significant concerns about transparency and accountability in managing the event’s funds.
During the PAC session on August 19, 2024, Youth and Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif stated that the Ministry had paid GBC over $3 million for its broadcasting services during the games. This statement came in response to inquiries from Member of Parliament Samuel Nartey George, who questioned unpaid debts owed to technical staff who worked at the event.
In a press release, the Ministry clarified that the total agreed amount for GBC’s services was $3.6 million. Of this, $2.5 million was paid directly to GBC in two installments, while an additional $1 million was disbursed to third-party contractors per GBC’s instructions.
However, GBC Director-General, Professor Amin Alhassan, publicly contradicted this, stating that GBC only received $105,000. He explained that GBC’s contract role was to supervise the technical production teams, who brought their own equipment and managed the Games’ production. The technical production was outsourced to three organizations: PGS, Quality Media Production S.L., and The Production Room (TPR).
GBC emphasized that all local technicians engaged by GBC for the Games had been fully compensated, with no outstanding payments. GBC staff deployed during the event received a daily subsistence allowance of one hundred Ghana cedis (GH¢100.00) while on location. The state broadcaster insisted there were no outstanding payments to be made.
