GBC Director General denies $3m payment for Africa Games coverage, says they received $105,000

The Director General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Prof. Amin Alhassan, has denied the Sports Minister’s claim that the national broadcaster was paid $3 million for the coverage of the 2023 African Games.

According to him, GBC only received a sum of $105,000 for its entire coverage of the Games, which took place between February and March this year.

He explained that the money received by the national broadcaster was used to offset costs that emanated from suspending some of its programmes for the duration of the Games.

GBC Director General denies $3 million payment for African Games coverage

“I want to state that GBC’s total benefit from the African Games was $105,000. Nothing more was paid to GBC,” Prof. Alhassan said on Uniq FM, adding that “the GBC was invited to the table barely one month to the Games.”

His comments come after the Minister of Youth and Sports Mustapha Ussif disclosed that the government paid the national broadcaster a sum of $3 million for the coverage of the African Games.

Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee on Monday, August 19, 2024, the Sports Minister said the amount was paid to the GBC as the official broadcaster for the Games.

“Yes, GBC was the official broadcaster for the 13th All African Games, and I can confirm that full payment has been made to GBC. I can’t remember the exact amount but I know that it is in the excess of $3 million,” Mustapha Ussif said.

His claim, however, generated controversy, with many Ghanaians taking to social media to express their dismay at the whooping sum involved.

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