The Ghana Police Service is expected to arraign Convener of the #FixtheCountry Campaigners, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, today [14 February 2022 ], for threatening a coup.
He was arrested on Friday, 11 February 2022, and has since been in police custody for over 48 hours.
#FixtheCountry Campaigners rallied supporters to march to the venue to show solidarity ahead of the court hearing.
Join us #StandWithOliver on Monday, 14-02-2022
Oliver and #FixTheCountry stand to only end a corrupt system that impoverishes the mass. We just need to show up for it.The Ghana where there is equity, fairness and citizen are treated with dignity is possible. #FreeOliverNow pic.twitter.com/6oRhDu0CMG
— Fixthecountry (@Ghfixthecountry) February 13, 2022
They said Mr Barker-Vormawor has been on a hunger strike since his arrest shortly after arriving in Ghana from the United Kingdom.
In an update, the police denied information circulating on social media that Mr Barker-Vormawor could not be found.
In response to comments by the #FixtheCountry Campaigners, the police explained that “in line with our standard operating procedure, the police proactively ensured that his family and his lawyer were given access to him”.
Mr Barker-Vormawor was picked up 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 Parliament passes the E-Levy Bill.
“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,” a statement dated 12 February 2022, signed by the Director-General of Public Affairs, DCOP Kwesi Ofori said.
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?”
He has been cited for several other controversial posts.
Consequently, a section of Ghanaians who found his comments distasteful poured out on social media to call 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.
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.