Ghana’s public institutions are the foundation of the country’s governance structure, responsible for delivering essential services and managing public resources.
However, the effectiveness of these institutions is often hindered by a lack of accountability, leading to inefficiencies, corruption, and erosion of public trust.
Accordingly, recent revelations at the Public Accounts Committee sitting have raised serious concerns about financial management and accountability in public institutions.
The Minister for Youth and Sports (MOYS) disclosed that Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) was paid over $3 million for services at the 13th African Games, sparking these concerns.
“We refer to the Public Accounts Committee sitting on Monday 19th August, 2024, where the Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon Mustapha Ussif led the National Sports Authority and the National Youth Authority, two agencies under the Ministry to respond to issues raised by the Auditor General”.
“At the sitting, the Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram Constituency. Hon. Samuel Nartey George asked a public interest question regarding the payment to Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) for their production and broadcasting services rendered at the 13th African Games to which, the Hon. Minister responded that GBC was paid in excess of $ 3 Million”.
The Minister for Youth and Sports
However, GBC disputed the claim, stating that it did not receive the alleged amount, prompting the Ministry of Youth and Sports to provide further clarification on the matter.
In a press statement, the Ministry explained that it had received proposals from various stakeholders, via the Local Organizing Committee, for the production and broadcasting rights of the 13th African Games.
The Ministry further clarified that certain organizations submitted proposals exceeding $6 million, which the Ministry considered to be excessively priced and therefore deemed not viable.
Accordingly, the Ministry revealed that, in a bid to foster local capacity and create a lasting legacy beyond the 13th African Games, it partnered with GBC to serve as the official broadcaster for the event.
GBC’s Bid Selected For Cost-Effectiveness
Furthermore, the Ministry of Youth and Sports noted that GBC’s bid was selected because it presented the most cost-effective option, with the lowest financial quotation for production and transmission services.
The Ministry emphasized that acknowledging GBC’s intention to subcontract certain tasks to third-party providers, the total contract value was negotiated and agreed upon at $3.6 million.
“Subsequently, an agreement was reached between the two institutions: the Ministry and GBC. From the total amount, $ 2.5 million was paid directly to GBC in two tranches: $ 1 million and 1.5 million on 13th March 2024 and 22nd May 2024 respectively”.
The Minister for Youth and Sports
The Ministry additionally pointed out that GBC approved an additional payment of $1 million to third-party vendors, in strict adherence to the contract’s specifications.
In line with its values, the Ministry emphasized its unwavering commitment to transparency and accountability in fulfilling its responsibilities as a public entity.
As such, the Ministry maintained its stance that the actual payment made to GBC for their services was in excess of $3 million, which starkly contrasts with GBC’s reported figure of $105,000.
This incident underscores the imperative for stringent oversight mechanisms to be put in place, ensuring that public institutions are held to the highest standards of accountability and transparency, and preventing similar abuses of power from occurring in the future.
The Public Accounts Committee must continue to play its role in holding public officials accountable, and the media should keep a close eye on developments to ensure that the public interest is protected.
Consequently, the committee must probe this matter further, and insist that both the Ministry and GBC supply a detailed and transparent breakdown of the services delivered and their respective expenses.
Transparency and accountability are essential in maintaining public trust, and it is the responsibility of our leaders to ensure that public funds are utilized judiciously.
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