The Ministry of Youth and Sports has reiterated that it disbursed over $3 million to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) for its role as the official broadcaster of the 13th African Games, which took place in Accra earlier this year. 

This statement comes amid a controversy sparked by comments made by the Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif, during a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing on Monday, August 19, 2024.

During the PAC session, Mustapha Ussif asserted that the Ministry had paid GBC more than $3 million for its production and broadcasting services for the Games. This statement was made in response to a query from the MP for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, who had raised concerns about unpaid debts to the technical staff involved in the event.

Contradicting the Minister's claim, GBC’s Director-General, Prof. Amin Alhassan, publicly declared that GBC had only received $105,000, which was allocated to support the broadcaster's decision to dedicate an entire channel to the African Games, thereby suspending regular programming on GTV Sports Plus.

In response to the apparent discrepancy, the Ministry of Youth and Sports provided a detailed breakdown of the financial arrangements with GBC on Tuesday, August 20, 2024. 

According to the Ministry, various proposals for the production and broadcasting rights for the 13th African Games were received from different stakeholders. Some of these proposals exceeded $6 million, an amount the Ministry considered too high.

The Ministry explained that it chose GBC as the official broadcaster to build local capacity and leave a lasting legacy post-Games. The decision was also influenced by GBC's lower financial quotation compared to other proposals.

“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 organisations submitted proposals in excess of $6 million, which the Ministry deemed excessive.”

The Ministry clarified 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, following GBC's instructions as outlined in the contractual agreement.

The Ministry underscored its commitment to transparency and accountability, emphasizing that all financial transactions were conducted with the utmost integrity.