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Life in prison is hell; convicted murderer now Rev Minister confesses

By MyJoyOnline
General News Life in prison is hell; convicted murderer now Rev Minister confesses
SEP 15, 2014 LISTEN

Apart from your freedom that is denied you, life in prison is like living in hell, says ex-convict David G. Mercy, now a Reverend Minister.

“The food you are given in the prison isn't food that you eat at home; it is food that is cooked by prison standards…and as for meat and fish, we eat them once in a blue moon,” David narrated on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM, Monday, September 15, 2014.

David, who “launched out of home” at age 19, ended up serving 19 years in jail for the murder of his lover. He was sentenced to death by firing squad on February 1, 1990 by a public tribunal, but God's mercy found Mr. Mercy in 2009, when he and some 500 other prisoners were granted pardon on January 7, by President John Agyakum Kufuor on his last day in office.

He said despite being thrown into “condemned prison and for 19 years, I kept hoping and hoping” that one day he was going to be out.

Having had his mind “poisoned by a family relative” against his stepmother, David the teenager decided to move out of home and found himself in the company of some “bad friends” in secondary school and “my academic work began to go down”. This subsequently led to his expulsion from school.

"I was being raised by family that has thought they have a good name to protect but then along the line I stepped out.

“…At that point, I realized I had a problem, but the power to overcome it was not there,” he detected.

Freedom
The inclusion of his name in the list of beneficiaries of the presidential pardon shocked him to date, he admitted. He said he was in disbelief when he came out the Ankaful Prison walls for the first time, a free man.

“It was the day that I realized that even the air we breathe in prison was different from the one outside”.

David is the author of the book titled 'Death Row to Christ 1&2' which gives exhaustive insight into prison life. He is involved in Prison Ministry and uses part of the proceeds from the sale of his books to mobilise support for inmates in the country's various prisons on a regular basis.

He propelled himself into full-time ministry in March 2014 and currently works under renowned preacher, Rev. Dr. Steven Wengham of Cedar Mountain Chapel.

“Freedom is a very expensive thing; priceless you can't buy it and if you have it please guard it with all diligence because, until you find yourself behind bars you will never know the value of freedom,” David advised.

He apologized to his family members for the pain and embarrassment his behaviour has brought them.

“By the grace of God they [family members] have been able to overcome it over time”.

  Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Jerry Tsatro Mordy | [email protected]

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