Oliver Barker Vormawor

Oliver Barker Vormawor
Born	Oliver Barker Mawuse Vormawor Amedeka, Akuse
Citizenship	Ghanaian
Education	University of Ghana, Harvard Law School, Universite Mohammed V, University Hassan II
Alma mater	University of Ghana
Occupation(s)	Lawyer, Activist
Organization	Democracy Hub

Oliver Barker-Vormawor is a Ghanaian lawyer, activist, and academic known for his role as a co-founder and lead convener of the #FixTheCountry movement, a social and political activism group in Ghana advocating for government accountability and systemic reforms. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

Early life and education

Oliver Barker-Vormawor studied law at the University of Ghana and later another degree in Harvard Law School in the USA. ^{[7] [8]} He has worked as a legal academic and researcher, focusing on constitutional law, governance, and human rights. ^{[9] [8]} He is currently a PhD student at the Faculty of Law Cambridge. ^{[10] [8]} Oliver has previous degrees from the Universite Mohammed V, Souissi, Rabat, and the University Hassan II, Casablanca in Morocco. ^[7]

Career

Oliver is a lawyer and the co-founder of the law firm Merton & Everret. He has been involved in some public interest cases where he acts as a lawyer for the less privileged. ^{[11] [12]}

Arrest, detention and trials

Oliver who is one of the conveners for #FixTheCountry movement in Ghana was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport after coming back from the United Kingdom where he schooled and charged with treason felony for making the following post on his Facebook page "If this E-Levy passes... I will do the coup myself. Useless Army!". ^{[13] [14] [15]} After securing bail for his treason felony charges he was later arrested again and he appeared before the Madina Circuit Court were he was charged with careless and inconsiderate driving. ^[16]

In September 21, 2023 Oliver was arrested as one of the conveners for the protest Occupy Julorbi House a three-day protest which was organized in Accra, Ghana. ^[17] The protests was supposed to start at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra and end at the entrance of the Jubilee House which is the seat of the Ghanaian government. The protests lasted for three days September 21-23, 2023 and after the first day of the arrests protestors still showed up for the remaining days after the arrested participants got released on day one. ^[18]

On September 21, 2024 Oliver was also part of the conveners of the second Occupy Julorbi House protest this time the focus was on stopping the illegal mining menace in Ghana called Galamsey. ^{[19] [20]} This was also supposed to be a three-day protests which caused all protesters who came out to protest on each day to be arrested, charged with unlawful assembly and denied bail. ^{[21] [22]}

References

1. "Ghana's 'stop galamsey' protests: Oliver Barker-Vormawor denied bail after arrest". www.bbc.com. 2024-09-27. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
2. Akinwotu, Emmanuel (2022-07-14). "Ghana 'fix the country' activist says he was assaulted and illegally detained". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2025-02-07.
3. "Ghana: Detention conditions of 'StopGalamseyNow' protesters spark controversy". Africanews. 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
4. "Ghana: Protests rock Accra as police clash with demonstrators, arrest 42". The Africa Report.com. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
5. Hammond, Wisdom K. E. (2023-09-22). "#OccupyJulorbiHouse: We rejected $1m bribe, govt positions to stop activism (VIDEO)- Barker-Vormawor". Ghana Education News. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
6. Adogla-Bessa, Delali (2024-09-25). "Oliver Barker-Vormawor, One Other Anti-Galamsey Protestor Hospitalised After Arrest". yen.com.gh. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
7. "Mawuse Oliver Barker-Vormawor - Networks of evidence and expertise for public policy". www.csap.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2025-02-08.
8. "Barker-V's Biography, Arrest, Court Case, Education & All Facts". AfricanEditors.com. 2022-03-19. Retrieved 2025-02-08.
9. "Leading #FixTheCountry to #OccupyJulorbiHouse: Who is Oliver Barker-Vormawor?".
10. "Mawuse Oliver Barker-Vormawor - Networks of evidence and expertise for public policy". www.csap.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
11. "Oliver Barker-Vormawor sues Police, Prison Service, AG for GH₵9.9m over wrongful imprisonment of farmer". MyJoyOnline. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
12. Boateng, Edmund Agyemang (2024-06-21). "Pipeline to prison: Barker-Vormawor seeks justice for man imprisoned wrongly after The Fourth Estate report". The Fourth Estate. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
13. "Popular Ghanaian activist detained over coup comment". Africanews. 2022-02-12. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
14. Lamptey, Edwin (2022-02-13). "Police releases statement on #FixTheCountry's Oliver Vormawor's arrest". yen.com.gh. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
15. "Barker-Vormawor's detention wrong; 'a mockery of power of arrest' – Martin Kpebu". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
16. "'I've been charged with careless, inconsiderate driving'- Oliver Barker-Vormawor". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 2022-05-17. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
17. "Oliver Barker-Vormawor taken to Ghana hospital after being arrested for 'galamsey' protests". www.bbc.com. 2024-09-25. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
18. "#OccupyJulorBiHouse: Heavy security at Jubilee House after arrest of protestors". MyJoyOnline. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
19. "Ghana's 'stop galamsey' protests: Oliver Barker-Vormawor denied bail after arrest". www.bbc.com. 2024-09-27. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
20. "Police arrest Oliver Barker-Vormawor". Graphic Online. 2024-09-23. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
21. "Oliver Barker-Vormawor arrested over Democracy Hub protest". MyJoyOnline. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
22. "Anti-galamsey protest: Oliver Barker-Vormawor denied bail again". MyJoyOnline. Retrieved 2025-09-09.