The Minority in Parliament, is demanding the immediate reinstatement of nearly 100 staff dismissed by the Bank of Ghana.
The caucus contends that terminating their appointments without appropriate justification violates Ghana’s labour laws and undermines the rights of the affected employees.
However, insiders have disclosed that those dismissed did not go through the recruitment procedures laid out at the Central Bank.
Beyond writing application letters seeking employment, they were not interviewed, scored, or subjected to police checks to determine, among other things, whether they had criminal records.
Days before the Akufo-Addo administration ended, they were handed appointment letters and told when to start at the Bank.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday, 24 June, the Member of Parliament for Savelugu, Hajia Fatahia Abdul-Aziz, described the Central Bank’s action as unjust and unacceptable.
In contrast to the Minority’s position, renowned human resource consultant Austin Gamey has stated that the Bank of Ghana (BoG) acted within the confines of the law when it terminated the appointments of some staff recruited in December 2024.
The former Employment Minister explained that under Ghanaian labour law, employers may engage individuals on probation for up to six months, during which time performance is assessed.
“If a recruit fails to meet the organisation’s expectations, the employer reserves the right to terminate the appointment,” Mr Gamey said.
“You can even be let go without notice. If someone completes their probation and the company cannot keep them, they can be dismissed with about two weeks’ notice—or even none.”
On 19 June 2025, the Bank of Ghana issued letters to approximately 97 individuals who had been recruited after 7 December 2024, informing them that their appointments had not been confirmed. The Bank cited an internal assessment which concluded that the affected individuals did not meet the required standards during their probation period.
The Member of Parliament for Savelugu outlined a series of actions the Minority intends to take should the dismissed employees not be reinstated promptly.
“The Bank of Ghana must restore every single dismissed worker to their rightful position without any further delay. Their appointments were lawful; their dismissals were not,” she declared.
Hajia Abdul-Aziz also called for accountability from the Bank’s leadership: “The Governor of the Bank of Ghana must face Parliament and explain this heartless abuse of power. You are not above the law, and you must answer to the people.”
Mr Gamey noted that the number of affected individuals was a fraction of the more than 200 people recruited during that period. He likened probationary employment to a footballer on trial: “If the person justifies their inclusion, they earn a full contract. If not, the club, like an employer, moves on.”
He dismissed claims that the dismissals were politically motivated despite the change in government.
He referred to earlier suggestions by the ruling NDC that those recruited after 7 December 2024 would be removed due to a lack of financial clearance.
“If this were really political, they would have been fired long ago, when that directive was first issued,” he observed.
Mr Gamey maintained that there is no evidence that all recruits were dismissed, clarifying that only those who failed to meet the Bank’s internal requirements were affected. He also downplayed the prospects of legal redress for the affected individuals.
“Since they all went through due process, I don’t think going to court will help,” he said. “Unless it is proven that they were not taken through due process, they may not have a case.”
The Bank of Ghana has insisted that the exercise is a routine part of performance management and is not aimed at any specific group.
A senior official told Joy Business: “Such exercises are routine and form part of the institution’s commitment to maintaining a high-performance work environment.”
Another official added that, in several cases, due process had not been followed during the recruitment phase, further justifying the decision to terminate some appointments.
Mr Gamey concluded by saying there was no need to fear a political purge if the NPP returned to power in 2028.
“If the system works by merit, these cycles will end,” he said.