…Workers allege inducement

A growing controversy involving the National Media Commission (NMC) and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), has prompted widespread calls for accountability, amid allegations of improper financial inducements and conflicts of interest that threaten to undermine the credibility of both institutions.

At the centre of the row, is the NMC’s decision to renew the contract of GBC’s Director-General, Prof Amin Alhassan, despite his tenure officially ending on October 1, 2023. This move has drawn criticism, following revelations that members of the NMC received payments for activities many argue fall outside the Commission’s constitutional remit.

Article 167 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution outlines the NMC’s responsibilities, including protecting media freedom, enforcing high journalistic standards, safeguarding state-owned media from government interference, and regulating newspaper registrations without impinging on editorial independence.

Notably absent from this mandate is any authority to monitor state media outlets, such as GBC, or to receive funds from them for nationwide installation visits.

Nevertheless, documents indicate that, GBC made multiple payments to NMC members between January and February 2024, ostensibly to facilitate tours of its regional installations.