The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), the country's state broadcaster, is facing a crisis as unionized staff call for the removal of its Director-General, Professor Amin Alhassan.
Staff allege that the corporation has deteriorated under Prof Alhassan's leadership, citing issues such as outdated equipment, broken-down vehicles, and a lack of basic office supplies.

In a strongly-worded statement delivered at a media conference on Tuesday held at the Inner Reception of the GBC office in Accra, the GBC Divisional Union of the Public Services Workers Union (PSWU) accused Prof Alhassan of maladministration, financial impropriety, and neglect of the corporation's core business.

The director-general's four-year tenure expired in October 2023, but he has remained in office without official communication about his status.

"There has since been no official communication to either the workers or the public about his status, which is the reason for his eleven-month continuous stay in office and the legal implications thereof," the union statement read.

"GBC today is virtually on its knees and a pale shadow of itself. In terms of logistics, equipment, and personnel, GBC was once a standard measure for excellence in broadcasting," the workers claimed.

The union also raised concerns about the alleged sale and lease of GBC lands across the country, calling for an investigation into these transactions.

Financial mismanagement is another key issue raised at Tuesday's media conference, with the staff alleging a huge financial loss under Alhassan's administration. Staff have accused the director-general of victimization and attempting to break up the union.

"The Corporation's operations for the year ended with a whopping loss of over eight million Ghana cedis as against a loss of two hundred and seventy thousand Ghana cedis recorded in 2021," the statement continued.

"The Director General has now resorted to the abuse of office, discrimination, and victimization against the union in particular and the majority of the staff in general," the statement alleged.

This lack of transparency has fueled suspicions among staff about potential impropriety in the extension of Alhassan's term. The union expressed particular concern about the role of the National Media Commission (NMC) in this matter. As one union representative stated:

"The union wants to know if it is true that the continuous stay of the DG in office long after the expiration of his contract is at the instance of NMC chairman, Mr. Yaw Ayeboafo who, for whatever reasons, wants a contract extension for the DG."

The workers are demanding Prof Alhassan's immediate departure and a thorough investigation into the corporation's financial dealings during his tenure.

"The unionized staff is aware and mindful of the strategic importance of the state broadcaster to national security and would not want to do anything to disturb the peace of the corporation as well as the country," the statement concluded.

The National Media Commission, responsible for appointing GBC's leadership, has yet to comment on the situation. The controversy raises questions about the future of Ghana's public broadcaster and its role in the country's media landscape.