Social activist and legal scholar, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has delivered a mixed assessment of President John Mahama’s first 120 days in office, praising strides in civil liberties while raising concerns over anti-corruption efforts and illegal mining.
In a Facebook post marking the milestone, Barker-Vormawor scored the President 10 out of 10 for his handling of freedom of assembly, commending the government’s tolerance of demonstrations and civic expression.
“Our prayer is that it doesn’t drop—particularly when things truly start feeling like they are going wrong and the government is under pressure,” he noted. He urged the government to go further by amending the Public Order Act to make protests a default right and to limit police and judicial interference.
On anti-corruption, however, Barker-Vormawor expressed dissatisfaction, scoring the administration 1.5 out of 10. In a sarcastic tone, he likened the government’s corruption record to “one Adu Boahene every three months,” suggesting that the administration risks averaging a corruption scandal every quarter.
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The fight against illegal mining, or galamsey, also came under fire. He rated the government 3.5 out of 10 and mocked a recently announced water monitoring initiative as “this yellow yellow (blue) water guard idea,” suggesting it lacked seriousness.
In more positive feedback, the E-Levy repeal received a perfect 10 out of 10 score, while government efforts at reducing size were rated 7 out of 10. “It was a perfect 10 on Ministers,” he noted, “but I don’t support MPs on Boards and the appointment of Communication Officers for state agencies.”
The post ends with a single word: “Shalom!”—a likely nod to his hope for peace, despite the criticisms.
Barker-Vormawor’s comments add to the growing public scrutiny of President Mahama’s early leadership style, reforms, and governance priorities since taking office earlier this year.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com|Ebenezer Madugu