“Di Wo Fie Asɛm”- Dampare Tells British High Commissioner

“Di Wo fie Asɛ m”, to wit, “Keep within the limits of what concerns”, is the message the Inspector General of Police, George Akufo Dampare has issued to the British High Commissioner in Ghana, Harriet Thompson after she tweeted about the arrest of FixTheCountry convenor Oliver Barker Vormawor and added, “I will be interested to see where this goes”.

After the second arrest of Barker on May 17, 2022, Harriet made the tweet.

“Oliver Barker Vormawor, the convener of #FixTheCountry movement, arrested again, I understand for a motoring offence on his way to court. I’ll be interested to see where this goes…”

In reaction to her tweet by the Ghana Police Service boss in a letter to her, said her action is a breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 “which enjoins diplomatic missions not to interfere in the internal affairs of their host country”.

The letter, with a clear tone chiding the High Commissioner, ran her through the series of events that led to the social activist’s first and second arrests.

Dampare slammed that, “against this backdrop and in view of the fact that he is not the only person who is being taken through due process for committing an offence in this country, it is difficult to understand why he is your only focus. Are we to understand that you are concerned about the law enforcement process in Ghana or only as applied to your person of interest?

“We are not oblivious of how, as a country, Britain reveres its army and continuously celebrates both serving and retired officers in the British Army Forces. It might not be what you expect, but please be informed that as a country, Ghana similarly treasures its Police Service, the Armed Forces, and all other security agencies and we are its Police Service, the Armed Forces, and all other security agencies and we are anxious to build these institutions into strong and revered pillars of society that performs their duties excellently”.

It also referenced instances where Britain acted similarly at some leaders of faith-based organisations who made pronouncements that were considered national security threats.

Read the full statement here:

credit: S.A.Kingsley.