Ghana cannot be the Mecca of Pan-Africanism and treat deportees unjustly – Barker-Vormawor

Convener of the Democracy Hub and lawyer for some of the deportees, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has questioned the moral integrity of the government over its deportation agreement with the United States, describing it as inconsistent with Ghana’s Pan-African ideals.

His comments follow a legal challenge filed by Democracy Hub at the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the agreement between Ghana and the U.S. for the deportation of some West African nationals to Ghana.

Speaking to JoyNews correspondent Kwaku Asante after Wednesday’s hearing, Mr Barker-Vormawor said he remained hopeful the court would rule in their favour, arguing that the deal with the Trump administration breaches both constitutional and international law.

“The duty of counsel is to continue to assist the Supreme Court in arriving at these decisions. Written submissions allow us to argue the law and show why the court, in previous decisions and similar circumstances, ordered the Attorney General to discover and disclose the agreements they hold,” he said.

He criticised the government for its lack of transparency, pointing to contradictions in how the agreement has been described.

“The Attorney General themselves are walking away from what they previously called a memorandum. The Deputy Attorney General, in an interview, called it an understanding, and before the court, they are calling it an arrangement. That’s why we are asking the court to give clarity on what exactly we are dealing with,” he noted.

Mr Barker-Vormawor further raised alarm over ongoing deportations under the disputed agreement, describing them as human rights violations.

“We can’t force the court’s hand, unfortunately, but we are concerned about persistent human rights violations happening in connection with this. We filed this matter in October, and now we are almost in December, yet the government continues to implement the agreement with rapid force,” he said.

“We are seeing people being deported and treated in ways that do not meet the standards of the Republic. Our hope is that when the court eventually rules, these individuals will find justice, and that no other person, whether a West African or any other, will be subjected to this kind of treatment.”

He also took a moral swipe at the government, questioning the contradiction between its Pan-African rhetoric and its treatment of deportees.

“There are things that are matters of law, and others that are questions of morality. The Foreign Minister has described Ghana as the Mecca of Pan-Africanism, yet we are accepting deportees from the US and treating them in ways that don’t uphold that ideal. I don’t think we are holding ourselves in good regard,” he said.

Mr Barker-Vormawor urged the government to reconsider the deportation deal, adding that Democracy Hub would be open to withdrawing its case if the state takes corrective action.

“My hope is that the government cleans up its act. Out of respect for what is happening, they should reconsider this agreement. We are happy to withdraw our application if the government shows commitment to doing what’s right,” he added.

“But the main point remains: no agreement that violates international law should be one that Ghana binds itself to.”

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.