Bawumia calls for release of Techiman nurse remanded for wanted ‘Ghana Jollof’

Former Vice President and 2028 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has called for the release of Techiman-based nurse Salomey Awiti Bafoh, who has been remanded for two weeks over her alleged involvement in the circulation of content from the anonymous “Ghana Jollof” TikTok account.

Bafoh, a 40-year-old senior nursing officer and mother of three, was arrested at her home in Hansua, near Techiman, on September 13.

According to an amended charge sheet filed at the Adentan Circuit Court, police accuse her of abetting the publication of false news by allegedly serving as a liaison for Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, the person police identify as being behind the “Ghana Jollof” account.

Police allege that Bafoh recruited people to redistribute and circulate videos from the account across social media platforms and also received money from Kodua, who is said to be in the United Kingdom.

She has been charged with abetment of crime, to wit publication of false news, contrary to sections 20(1) and 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

Reacting to the development in a social media post on Friday, September 18, Dr Bawumia described the circumstances surrounding Bafoh’s arrest and detention as worrying.

“This is not the Ghana we want to build. I can assure Ghanaians that when given the opportunity, our intelligence agencies will not be reduced to chasing citizens for insulting the President or anyone else," he wrote.

Dr Bawumia said while he does not support insults in political discourse, the government must protect citizens’ right to free expression.

“I have always disavowed a politics of insults and will remind all in the political space of the need to be decorous. The ideas we need to transform our nation won’t come from insults. But I also remind the NDC government that any infringement on the right to free speech pushes our democracy backwards," said the former Vice President.

He also questioned what he described as the selective application of the law and called for Bafoh and others facing similar charges to be released.

“Please release Salomey Bafor Awiti and others who have been similarly charged and jailed,” he said.