The Minority in Parliament has strongly condemned the mass dismissal of over 100 employees of the Bank of Ghana, describing the action as unconstitutional, unlawful, and morally unacceptable.
At a press conference on Tuesday, 24 June, the Minority expressed outrage over the terminations, which they claim were carried out without due process, prior consultation, or any justifiable cause.
Terminations in Violation of Labour and Constitutional Rights
According to the Minority, the dismissed employees were legally recruited, duly vetted, and had been contributing meaningfully to national development. However, they were abruptly removed following a directive from the Chief of Staff, dated 11 February 2025, which called for the revocation of all public sector appointments made after 7 December 2024.
“This directive is wholly unconstitutional and unlawful,” the Minority asserted. “No such directive has legal authority, and institutions must not act on political whims.”
They cited Article 24 of the 1992 Constitution, which guarantees every Ghanaian the right to work under fair and satisfactory conditions, and Article 23, which requires public institutions to act fairly and in accordance with the law.
Additionally, the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) outlines specific grounds under which terminations may be lawfully carried out, including misconduct, incapacity, or redundancy. The Minority insists that none of these grounds applied in the Bank of Ghana’s decision.
Procedural Breaches Ignored
The Minority further pointed out that, even if the dismissals were based on redundancy, the Bank of Ghana failed to meet legal obligations such as notifying the Chief Labour Officer, consulting affected staff, or providing compensation — actions required by law.
Probation Status Not a Justification
They also dismissed claims that the dismissals could be justified on the basis that some staff were on probation.
“Probation is not a licence for arbitrary or unjustified termination,” they argued, stressing that probationary employees are still entitled to fair assessments, documented feedback, and constitutional protection.
The Minority has therefore called for the immediate reinstatement of the affected workers, insisting that Ghana’s labour laws and constitutional safeguards must be upheld by all public institutions, including the central bank.
