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The Ministry of Youth and Sports has provided a detailed breakdown of the $3.6 million payment made to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) for its role as the official broadcaster of the 13th African Games held in Accra. This clarification comes after controversy arose following statements made by the Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif, during a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) session.
During the PAC meeting on August 19, 2024, the Minister claimed that GBC received over $3 million for its services related to the Games. However, GBC’s Director-General, Prof. Amin Alhassan, countered this, stating that GBC only received $105,000, which was used to support the suspension of regular programming on GTV Sports Plus to dedicate a channel to the Games.
To address the confusion, the Ministry of Youth and Sports released a statement on August 20, 2024, explaining the financial arrangements. The Ministry revealed that it had received various proposals for the production and broadcasting rights, some exceeding $6 million. GBC was chosen not only because it offered the lowest quote but also to build local capacity and leave a lasting legacy post-Games.
According to the Ministry’s breakdown, GBC was contracted for $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 instructed by GBC under the terms of the contract.
The Ministry reiterated its commitment to transparency and accountability, ensuring that all financial transactions were handled with integrity.
