NMC clarifies issues on appointment of GBC Director General

The National Media Commission (NMC) has clarified that it renewed the appointment of Prof. Amin Alhassan as Director-General (D-G of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), on February 26, 2024. 

The decision, the NMC explained, was publicly announced during the inauguration of the new GBC Board on August 13, 2024.

The NMC said some recent media reports suggested that some GBC employees were unaware of the contract renewal in February 2024.

The commission, therefore, asked the board to take immediate steps to communicate the renewal to all staff and gave an assurance of its readiness to provide any necessary clarification.

“We shall be grateful if you could take steps to inform all staff of the corporation. Should you require any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. You may also direct any person or group of persons who require information on this issue to contact us,” the letter said.

It expressed the hope that the impressive progress the GBC achieved in recent years, through the foresight of the board, the ingenuity of management and the hard work of staff would be sustained.

Salary challenges

In a related development, however, the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) has suspended the payment of the salary of the Director-General of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Accra (GBC) Prof. Amin Alhassan from March 2025.

In a letter signed by the Controller and Accountant General, Kwesi Agye, responding to a March 11, 2025, letter from the Director of Human Resources of GBC, requesting the release of the DG’s salary, it said there was a need for financial clearance for such appointments, which had always been the practice.

“This is in reference to your letter number PD.3554/V2/99 dated March 11, 2025, on the extension of Contract for Director-General -GBC,” it stated.

It referenced Section 25(5) of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), which mandates financial clearance for all staff appointments and contract extensions within the limits set by Parliament under Section 21 (5) (e) (ix).

The letter said financial clearance was required for the Director-General’s four-year contract, which began on October 2, 2023, and was set to expire in September 2027.

That, it said, would enable the processing of the payment of salary and related allowances of the Director-General.

It is important to note that the financial clearance to be sought for the Director-General of GBC should take retrospective effect from October 2, 2023, to avoid the issue of unearned salaries arising,” the letter said.

Background

The unionised staff of GBC last Thursday held a press conference to demand the immediate exit of Prof. Alhassan.

It said the Director-General was out of tune with the aspirations of both the workers and the corporation and, therefore, demanded that his contract should not be extended.

Addressing a news conference on the premises of GBC on March 20, 2025, the Chairman of the GBC Local Union, Sam Nat Kevor, declared the D-G as an unwelcomed person on the premises and said unionised staff were aware and mindful of the strategic importance of the state broadcaster to national security and would, therefore, not want to do anything to disturb the peace at the corporation.

He said although the tenure of Prof. Alhassan ended on October 1, 2023, the NMC still found it convenient to allow him to stay in office.

To that end, “the unionised workers of GBC have lost confidence in Prof. Alhassan and the NMC,” Mr Kevor stated.

He stated that the union had, since November 21, 2023, through its mother union, the Public Sector Workers Union (PSWU), written to the NMC and the Office of the President seeking clarification on the D-G’s status.

He said the NMC responded on December 11, 2023, indicating that it was in the process of determining the leadership of GBC, referencing Article 168 of the 1992 Constitution, which mandated the Commission to appoint the board and Chief Executive of state-owned media in consultation with the President.

In a quick reaction, however, Prof. Alhassan told the Daily Graphic that he had a renewed contract from the appointing authority, the NMC, effective October 2, 2023.

He debunked all the allegations made by the local union and said though the union had "unfettered access to management, it has failed to follow due process to schedule meetings with management”.