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 of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) on February 26, 2024. The announcement was made public during the inauguration of the new GBC Board on August 13, 2024.

In response to reports that some GBC employees were unaware of the contract renewal, the NMC has instructed the board to officially communicate the decision to all staff, assuring its readiness to provide further clarification.

Meanwhile, the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) has suspended the payment of Prof. Alhassan’s salary from March 2025, citing the need for financial clearance in accordance with the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921).

The CAGD stated that financial clearance must be obtained for the Director-General’s four-year contract, which began on October 2, 2023, and will run until September 2027. It emphasized that the clearance should take retrospective effect from October 2023 to prevent any issues related to unearned salaries.

This development follows growing tensions at GBC, where unionized staff have demanded Prof. Alhassan’s immediate exit, citing a disconnect between his leadership and the aspirations of workers. The GBC Local Union has expressed a loss of confidence in both the NMC and the Director-General.

Prof. Alhassan, however, insists his contract was lawfully renewed by the NMC and has dismissed the allegations, maintaining that the union has not properly engaged management on their concerns.