Govt offered me money, appointments to stop activism – Oliver Vormawor alleges

The convener of the pressure group, #FixTheCountry movement, Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor, has made some damning allegations about the Akufo-Addo government and the National Security Minister, Kan Dapaah, of attempting to offer him money and appointments to stop his activism.

The group, which has on several occasions criticised the government, has been embarking on a series of demonstrations, demanding the government put in place proper measures to alleviate the suffering of Ghanaians.

Addressing journalists on September 22, after his release and that of his colleagues from cells, Mr. Oliver Barker-Vormawor, alleged that he and his colleagues rejected the government’s offer after meeting the National Security Minister at a secret location.

He further claimed that the National Security Minister threatened to ensure they were arrested if they continued with their protests. “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, 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 continued being charged with treason. For over two years now, the government has tried to prevent us from mobilising people,” he claimed.

He implored members of the group who were scared for their lives not to show up. “If there’s anybody out there who is afraid for their lives, I implore them not to come, the purchase of our democracy should not be that people should lose their lives, in order to secure it. I don’t subscribe to that view, My belief is that those who have every faith in themselves and feel courage and the compulsion must step out. If it is five people, we are still going to be here,” he advised.