Lawyer and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor has strongly criticized the redirection of Ghana’s official presidency website, www.presidency.gov.gh, to President John Dramani Mahama’s campaign site, www.johnmahama.org.
In a detailed Facebook post, he described the move as a breach of national security and administrative protocols, calling for an immediate investigation and apology.
Barker-Vormawor argued that the website, along with the Presidency’s official social media accounts, is classified as Critical National Information Infrastructure and should not be repurposed for partisan purposes. “This flies against everything that is administratively proper. In fact, this offends our national security strategy, if not several laws,” he wrote.
Security and Oversight Concerns
The activist questioned how the redirection occurred, emphasizing that it required backend access to the government’s domain and approval from someone in authority. “You cannot under any circumstance decamp the party onto critical national information systems. No! No! No! It couldn’t have been done without a sign-off by someone who should have known better,” Barker-Vormawor stated.
He underscored the importance of adhering to administrative procedures, drawing comparisons to the tenure of Raymond Atuguba, a former Executive Secretary to the President, who ensured meticulous compliance with legal and procedural standards.
Call for Investigation and Apology
Barker-Vormawor expressed disappointment that the issue had not been rectified despite being observed for over 24 hours. “This incident has to be investigated. And [a] proper apology offered,” he insisted. He further cautioned the current administration to avoid such “rookie mistakes” as it navigates its early days in office.
Public and National Implications
The redirection of the Presidency’s official website to a campaign platform raises serious questions about oversight and governance. Critics, including Barker-Vormawor, argue that this move undermines public trust and compromises the sanctity of national information systems.
As of now, there has been no official response from the Presidency addressing the incident or outlining steps to prevent future occurrences. The activist’s remarks have amplified public concern, with many echoing calls for accountability and a swift resolution to the matter.
