I’m sorry, I didn’t intend to disparage you – Barker-Vormawor to Appointments Committee

Social media activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor has apologized to Parliament’s Appointments Committee, stressing that his earlier remarks about alleged bribery were not meant to disparage its members.

Barker-Vormawor, who had previously claimed that some committee members demanded bribes from ministerial nominees, explained that his comments were intended to highlight broader concerns about corruption and transparency, rather than directly accuse the committee.

His legal counsel, Nana Ato Dadzie, reinforced this clarification, stating that the activist’s post was an act of whistleblowing, not an attack on the committee’s integrity. The committee had summoned Barker-Vormawor to provide evidence for his claims, which he agreed to do.

Appearing before the Appointments Committee in Accra on Wednesday, January 29, Barker-Vormawor stated:

“I am saying here clearly that my post was not intended to disparage members of the committee, and I have not intended to say that members of this committee have received or demanded bribes from various individuals. At no point was my statement intended to communicate the same, and for those reasons, I apologize.”

He further explained why he had not deleted the post earlier, saying:

“The reason why I have left the post on was because I saw that the words had been twisted, and it became imperative for me to maintain the post in its original form so that, if questioned on it, reference could be made for verification.”

Barker-Vormawor added that he was willing to remove the post, signalling his commitment to resolving the issue amicably.

His remarks come amid heightened discussions on transparency and accountability in Ghana’s political processes.