Oliver Barker-Vormawor Apologizes for Bribery Allegation Against Appointments Committee

Social activist and lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor has apologized for his comments suggesting that members of Parliament’s Appointments Committee accepted bribes from ministerial nominees in exchange for approval.
Appearing before the Committee on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, Barker-Vormawor clarified that his social media post was misinterpreted and was not intended to accuse the committee members of corruption.
Apology and Retraction
During his appearance, he expressed regret over the misunderstanding and stated his willingness to delete the post from his social media platforms.
“I’m 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. At no point was my statement intended to communicate the same, and for these reasons, I apologise,” he said.
He further assured the Committee that he would remove the post to avoid further misinterpretations.
Denial of Another Post Alleging NDC Corruption
During the session, committee members also questioned Barker-Vormawor about another circulating post alleging that NDC members on the Appointments Committee had taken bribes from nominees.
He categorically denied authoring the statement, claiming that it originated from a New Patriotic Party (NPP) Facebook page and that he had no association with it.
“I reiterate again categorically that I have at no point authored those words. All I know about that statement is that it appeared on an NPP Projects Bureau Facebook account. I don’t know the source of it,” he added.
Origin of the Controversy
The controversy stemmed from Barker-Vormawor’s January 24, 2025, post, which read:
“So all the monies the ministerial appointees are being asked to pay to the Appointments Committee just to get approved, are those ones not affected by ORAL?”
The Appointments Committee took issue with this statement and summoned the activist during the vetting session on January 28, 2025.
Following his explanation, Barker-Vormawor formally apologized and expressed his commitment to ensuring clarity in his public commentary moving forward.