Convener of #FixTheCountry movement alleges government’s attempt to halt activism with bribes and threats
The convener of the #FixTheCountry movement, Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor, has leveled serious allegations against the Akufo-Addo government and the National Security Minister, Kan Dapaah.
He claims that they attempted to offer him financial inducements and positions in exchange for ceasing his activism.
The #FixTheCountry group, known for its outspoken criticism of the government, has been organizing a series of protests, demanding comprehensive measures to alleviate the hardships faced by the Ghanaian population.
In a press conference held on September 22, following his release and that of his fellow activists from detention, Mr. Oliver Barker-Vormawor disclosed that he and his colleagues unequivocally declined the government’s offers after a clandestine meeting with the National Security Minister.
Furthermore, he alleged that the National Security Minister issued threats of arrest if they persisted with their protest actions. These startling claims by Barker-Vormawor shed light on the challenges faced by activists advocating for change and transparency in Ghana’s political landscape.
“Unknown to the government, we have recordings, while I was in the UK, the National Security Minister [Kan Dapaah], called and invited me for a sit-down. The government offered to pay for my flight, in order to meet here in Ghana.
“This was something that was never disclosed to the public, but we met at a safe house, for us to stop our activism, this was way before we started the first #FixTheCountry demonstration. We were offered not only money but appointments, and if we agreed to stop this, we were going to be free, but the most important thing was not to bring citizens onto the streets.
“When we rejected that, Kan Dapaah, the National Security Minister, said to my face that if we decide to continue on this course of action, we will be arrested. We will be dealt with and that, it will be over his dead body any demonstrations will happen. At the time we were even in Supreme Court at the time”
He also alleged that the government for two years now has been attempting to prevent them from mobilising people to hit the streets.
“So I was not surprised that I was ultimately arrested by the government and continue being charged for treason. For over two years now, the government has tried to prevent us from mobilising people,” he claimed.
