The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) has provided a detailed account of the payments made to the six service providers contracted to cover the recently concluded 13th African Games.
The disclosure comes amid controversy regarding the financial arrangements for the event.
In a letter dated February 28, 2024, addressed to the Sports Minister, GBC sought approval from the Ministry of Youth and Sports to finalize contracts with the broadcasting service providers.
The list includes PGS, Quality Media Productions S.L., The Production Room (TPR), Silicon Productions, GBC 24-Hour African Games Channel (Support), and Positive Communication.
The contract sums disclosed are as follows: PGS at €2,056,534; Quality Media Productions S.L. at $1,000,000; Silicon Productions at €57,030; GBC 24-Hour African Games Channel (Support) at $105,000; and Positive Communication at $20,000.
GBC requested the Ministry’s approval to commit to these contracts and anticipated that the Ministry would provide the necessary funds to cover these expenses.
The controversy began when Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif stated during a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) session on August 19, 2024, that the Ministry had paid GBC over $3 million for its production and broadcasting services.
This statement was made in response to MP Samuel Nartey George’s concerns about unpaid debts to technical staff who worked on the Games.
However, GBC Director-General Prof. Amin Alhassan publicly disputed this claim, asserting that GBC had received only $105,000.
This amount was allocated to support establishing a dedicated channel for the African Games on GTV Sports Plus, which required suspending regular programming.
In response to the discrepancy, the Ministry of Youth and Sports clarified the financial arrangements in a statement on August 20, 2024.
The Ministry explained that various proposals for the production and broadcasting rights for the Games were received, some exceeding $6 million, which was considered excessive.
To build local capacity and ensure cost-effectiveness, the Ministry chose GBC, which provided the lowest financial quotation.
The Ministry confirmed that the total agreed payment for GBC’s services was $3.6 million. Of this amount, $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 by the contractual agreement.
The Ministry reiterated its commitment to transparency and accountability, emphasizing that all financial transactions related to the Games were handled with the utmost integrity.
