'I was unlawfully detained with no ventilation, exposed to crawling bed bugs, cockroaches and rats' – Barker-Vormawor

The embattled #FixTheCountry convener Oliver Barker-Vormawor has described his 35-days in detention as exposure to “man’s inhumanity to man.”

The Convener who was making his first public statement following his release from Police Custody on Monday, 11 April 2022, said he was tortured by the security forces.

Mr Barker-Vormawor said: “I was unlawfully detained by the security forces of this regime tortured and subsequently held without just cause for 35 days most of those 35 days are spent either in solitary confinement or in a jail cell with no ventilation crawling with bed bugs cockroaches and rats and which was designed for four people but ultimately filled with nearly 30 detainees.

“Within those 35 days, I was exposed to what I can only describe as man’s inhumanity to man. I was held in the rotten underbelly of our democracy the parts of our society which we hide from public view persons we treat us if they are not human and do not deserve the protection of love.”

The Convener noted that the ideal time for the redefinition of the values of the country’s democracy is now.

“Friends the time has come to redefine the face and the values of our Ghanaian democracy. Our democracy! A democracy where young people as much as the old have a place in its improvement. Where our voices for reform and justice are no longer viewed as treasonous by those who are scared of their own shadows.

“Where young people are not killed in our streets simply for believing in the promise of this democracy.”

He also called on members of the movement not to be dissuaded by the events of the past but rather forge ahead and commit themselves to democratic ideals.

“They have prevented our democracy from retiring violence. They use it to kill us during elections and when we protest for change. These are not people who believe in our democracy. Our democracy is only convenient for them to enrich themselves through gargantuan corruption. We never forget that in this Republic’s life it is the corrupt and wicked politicians who have ruined Ghana. Not young people. Not democracy activists. Not us in #fixthecountry. We love this country. We love it so much that we believe it can become better and it can become fairer.

“This is why we must not allow them to create the impression that we are somehow less committed to our democratic ideals. That we want violence rather than peace. Violence is their tool; not ours.”

The Convener was let free on Thursday, 17 March 2022 after having been in detention for over a month.

The activist was released following the execution of his bail.

He has been charged with treason felony by the police.

He made his first appearance in court on Monday, February 14 where he was denied bail and remanded into custody.

He was arrested on Friday, 11 February 2022 at the Kotoka International Airport when he returned from the UK for making suggestive coup threats on social media.

The police indicated that his “post contained a clear statement of intent with a possible will to execute a coup in his declaration of intent to subvert the constitution of the Republic”.

He had suggested in a Facebook post that if the e-levy was passed: "I'll do the coup myself. Useless army!"

Source: classfmonline.com