I’ve always been thirsty for a coup of the mindset – Barker-Vormawor

Oliver Mawusi Barker-Vormawor, a Constitutional Rights and Policy Strategy Adviser for the Democracy Hub, has expressed his desire for a coup.

According to him, he has always been thirsty for a coup that would change the mindset of ordinary Ghanaians.

Speaking during an interview with Naa Dedei Tettey on Morning Starr on Thursday, September 19, 2024, Oliver explained that conventional military use in a constitutional democracy should be reevaluated.

“I’ve always been very thirsty for a coup, but not the kind of coup you’re thinking of. It has to be a different kind of coup, a change in mindset,” he stated.

“We don’t have the luxury to be stuck on words. We have to search for a deeper meaning of what it means to have a democracy,” he stressed.

Oliver also noted the importance of citizen engagement and protest in preserving democracy.

“The physical country, more than any social group in the last few years, has done more to keep our democracy going than anything else. People don’t understand how much it takes for people to show up at a protest and the pain and frustration that gets aired out.”

On March 16, Oliver was granted bail by the Tema High Court in the sum of GHC2 million with two sureties.

The court, presided over by Justice Daniel Mensah, said one of the sureties should deposit documents of landed property within the jurisdiction.

As part of the bail conditions, he is also to report to the police once a week on a day to be determined by the police.

Oliver Barker-Vormawor was arrested on February 11 at Kotoka International Airport and has since been in detention.

He has been charged with treason felony for comments the prosecution deemed as elements of staging a coup.

His comments were written on Facebook.