By Tabora Bojang
Sparkling Multimedia, one of five media outlets controversially awarded over D40M contract to promote government policies, programmes activities, has had its contract terminated reportedly because of substandard production. A statement from the Ministry of Information yesterday said it has conducted a performance review exercise as provided for in the contract before approval of the second payment of funds to the contracted media houses in which it was found out that “none of the Sparkling Multimedia deliverable was good enough for media houses to broadcast.” The Ministry further stated that a subsequent legal opinion was solicited on the way forward and the advice was for government to “terminate” the contract with Sparkling “effective 2nd September 2024.”
The contract obliged the government to pay half upon signing by parties and when The Standard asked the Minister of Information whether they will go for the money already paid to Sparkling, he said: “We are engaging the Ministry of Justice for advice.”
Background
In February 2024, the Ministry of Information signed a contract with 5 media companies and 2 content creators to popularise government programmes. The beneficiaries of the contract worth D40,145,648 were QTV, Mediamatic and Paradise TV, Fatu Network, Star TV/Radio, Eye Africa TV, Fandema Multimedia and Sparkling Multimedia with each medium to receive over D5 million.
The contract attracted widespread condemnation with some calling it a ‘hush money’ move to influence the media. Government however denied these suggestions saying the initiative was designed to bring government policies, programmes and activities closer to the populace.
Investigative media outlet, The Republic, found out that the content creators Fandema Multimedia registered in November 2015 and Sparkling Media Agency registered in January 2023 are reportedly “owned by the same person” and the name on their registration is “merely a front.”
