#FixTheCountry convener Barker-Vormawor to be arraigned on Monday over coup comment – Police

Convener of the pressure group #FixtheCountry Campaigners, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, is expected to be put before court on Monday, 14 February 2022, after his arrest for making a coup comment.

A release by the police explained that he was arrested on Friday evening by the Tema Regional Police Command following a post he allegedly made on social media to the effect that he would stage a coup himself if the E-Levy Bill is passed by Parliament.

According to the police, “the post contained a clear statement of intent with a possible will to execute a coup in his declaration of intent to subvert the constitution of the Republic of Ghana,” the police statement dated 12 February 2022, signed by the Director-General of Public Affairs, DCOP Kwesi Ofori said.

“He will be arraigned before court on Monday, 14th February, 2022,” the statement indicated.

The police said they would “continue to call on the good people of Ghana to avoid making pronouncements that may lead to a breach of the peace of the country as any such acts contravene the laws of the country”.

#FixtheCountry Campaigners said on Friday night that Mr Oliver Barker-Vormawor was “whisked away by state officials” on arrival from the United Kingdom at the Kotoka International Airport at about 4 pm.

Subsequently, they demanded his immediate release via Twitter.

One of #FixTheCountry Convenors @barkervogues arrived in Ghana today at 4pm GMT and has been abducted by the state security apparatus.
We have since not seen or heard from him

We demand that he is RELEASED immediately pic.twitter.com/J17S8HfmoH

— Fixthecountry (@Ghfixthecountry) February 11, 2022

Mr Barker-Vormawor had posted about a coup on his Facebook page following recent discussions about the proposed 1.75% Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy).

“If this E-Levy passes after this cake bullshit, I will do the coup myself. Useless Army!” Barker-Vormawor said in one of the posts.

In another post, he said: “Okay, let’s try again. If this E-Levy still passes after this cake bullshit, then may God….Help us to resist oppressor’s rule, With all our will and might for evermore. (2x)
Useless Army. Anaa, the value is the same?”

Consequently, a section of Ghanaians who found his comments distasteful poured out on social media to call on the Ghana Police Service to arrest him.

#FixTheCountry describes itself as a non-partisan, non-aligned civic movement by Ghanaian youths for Ghana.

#FixTheCountry was birthed in 2021 via online protests after the government announced price hikes in fuel and telecommunication services.

The price increase was happening at a time of frequent power.

The protesters held the view that President Akufo-Addo and his appointees had failed in addressing the needs of Ghanaians.

Other concerns highlighted by the angry social media users included high taxes, unemployment, dilapidated health system, high accommodation rate, poor road networks, and general hardships.

The group subsequently held a series of demonstrations and continued their online protests against government policies they believed were inimical to ordinary Ghanaians.

Most recently,  #FixTheCountry submitted a petition to President Nana Akufo-Addo demanding the head of the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa, over the inability of the Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi and Likpe (SALL) residents to vote for a representative in parliament.

Currently, SALL, which is in the Guan District, has no representation in parliament.

In the petition, Mr Barker-Vormawor had argued that the conduct of the EC officials in the SALL matter “meets the threshold of stated misbehaviour and, or incompetence as required under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution for the removal of these officials”.

#FixTheCountry insisted that the actions and inactions of the EC boss caused the people of SALL to lose their fundamental human rights.

There were 46 signatories to the petition, including residents of SALL.