New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communication Member, Awal Mohammed, has slammed the Minority Members of Parliament for lashing out at the Central Bank over some payments made in the 2022 fiscal year.

In its 2022 Annual Report & Financial Statements, the Bank of Ghana noted that it spent GHS1.6 billion as personnel cost for 2,215 staff.

President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, has also alleged that each independent director serving on the Bank of Ghana's board receives a monthly payment of US$8,000, equivalent to GH¢89,852.36.

This revelation, among other concerns, has garnered dissatisfaction with the Bank of Ghana. In view of this, the Minority has called for the dismissal of the Central Bank governor, Dr Ernest Addison.

"There is an urgent need for BoG’s internal operations to be reviewed to ensure that no losses would be posted or repeated this year.

"The Governor, his deputies and entire Board have failed the nation and must resign without delay to begin the process of saving the BoG," the Minority noted.

But in response, Awal Mohammed has described the Minority's demands as baseless.

In an interview on Peace FM, the NPP Communication Member argued that 2022 was a difficult year as such government stepped in to alleviate the plight of public office workers.

According to him, government raised the income of public sector workers by 30 percent.

He therefore noted that as the Bank of Ghana is a State Owned Enterprise, it was prudent for its director to benefit from such adjustment.

"In 2022, the President had not budgeted to pay public sector workers more money.

But at a point in time, we realized that there was hardship so we gave Cost of Living Allowance for public sector workers. For six months, we were paying. Again for the first time, in the history of the 4th Republic, there was 30 percent increment in salaries of public sector workers."

He added: "So the Director at the Bank of Ghana does not deserve to have his salary increased? They should have their salaries without any increment?

That’s why I am saying they are a bunch of inept leaders. Because you don't mention the nominal figures. You come and say they increase their salary by 8.7 million. What is the percent to that?"