Petition Text:

We, the undersigned, are drawing attention to Joseph Nana Kwame Awuah-Darko, known as Okuntakinte (@okuntakinte), for allegedly defrauding followers and suppressing accountability. Reports indicate Okuntakinte has:

- Leveraged his public struggles with bipolar disorder to solicit funds under false pretenses, including promoting dubious schemes to his followers.

- Failed to pay artists associated with his Noldor Artist Residency, withholding over $350,000, as alleged by AfrikMag and supported by screenshots and voice notes of his payment delay excuses.

- Blocked followers on Instagram who question his refusal to pay artists, stifling discussion of these allegations.

- Attempted to delete records of his alleged scams from Wikipedia to evade scrutiny.

These actions exploit trust, harm vulnerable artists, downplay the struggles of individuals living with mental health struggles and undermine Instagram’s Community Guidelines on fraud and harassment. We demand Instagram to:

1. Investigate Okuntakinte’s account for fraudulent activity and suppression of criticism.

2. Suspend the account pending investigation to prevent further harm.

3. Strengthen policies to detect and penalize influencer scams.

Victims, including unpaid artists and misled followers, deserve justice. Instagram must act to ensure platform safety and accountability.

Signed,
Concerned instagram users

Why This Matters: 

We launched this petition because we are outraged by influencers like Okuntakinte exploiting mental health narratives to scam followers while silencing critics. With influencer scams costing users millions annually, Instagram must address high-profile cases like Okuntakinte’s to protect its community. Reports of his actions, including blocking critics and erasing Wikipedia records, suggest a pattern of evasion that demands urgent investigation.