Oliver is not just a brilliant lawyer, trained at some of the most prestigious institutions such as Harvard and Cambridge, but a man of immense courage and principle, who chose to dedicate his life to defending the most vulnerable Ghanaians. Today, he is being punished for that choice.
Dear Comrades, Brothers, and Sisters,
I write this letter with a heavy heart, full of anger, sorrow, and disbelief at the horrific treatment my dear friend, brother, and comrade, Oliver Barker Vormawor, is currently enduring at the hands of the repressive regime of Nana Akuffo Addo in Ghana.
Oliver is not just a brilliant lawyer, trained at some of the most prestigious institutions such as Harvard and Cambridge, but a man of immense courage and principle, who chose to dedicate his life to defending the most vulnerable Ghanaians. Today, he is being punished for that choice.
I first met Oliver several years ago, shortly after his arrest by the regime when he was abducted at the airport upon his return from the UK, where he was pursuing his PhD at Cambridge.
For over a month, Oliver was held in detention, tortured, and subjected to the kind of abuse that one might expect in a dictatorship, not in Ghana, a nation once celebrated as a beacon of democracy and progress in Africa. The affidavit of his torture still gives me goosebumps to this day, reminding me of similar cases of torture in my homeland of Togo. I was appalled that this could happen in Ghana, a country long seen as a model of freedom in the region.
Oliver was charged with treason, an absurd and politically motivated accusation that has never been substantiated. Over two years later, his trial remains unresolved, exposing the rotten, corrupt nature of the judiciary system in Ghana, where elites shield themselves from accountability while the innocent are punished.
Despite facing these daunting charges, Oliver did not retreat into self-preservation. Instead, he established a law firm to offer pro-bono services to everyday Ghanaians who, like him, are denied justice by a system that is broken and hijacked by elitism and corruption.
The Nana Akuffo Addo regime, which many once believed would chart a new course for Ghana, has instead dragged the country into an abyss of economic despair and political repression. Under his rule, the Ghanaian currency has depreciated by more than 120% between 2020 and 2023, leaving ordinary citizens in poverty while the regime seeks loans from the same IMF it once condemned. Illegal mining, or "galamsey," has polluted over 60% of Ghana's water sources, threatening the health and future of millions of people. These illegal operations have been allowed to thrive under the regime’s watch, contaminating the very lifeblood of the nation: its water.
In the face of these crises, Oliver once again stood up for his people. As a leader of the “FixTheCountry” movement, he organized protests against illegal mining, calling out the government’s failures. For this, Oliver and many others were arrested, denied bail, and are now being held in inhumane conditions. Despite suffering from severe health problems, Oliver has been refused proper medical care. His health is deteriorating, and yet the police have cynically claimed that they do not have the financial resources to cover his treatment. This is not just neglect, it is a deliberate attempt to break him, to silence him, and ultimately, to kill him.
It is appalling that such brutality is happening in a country like Ghana, which was once seen as the most progressive in West Africa. Oliver’s continued detention is a stark reminder of how far Ghana has fallen under this regime, which has aligned itself with foreign powers and authoritarian regimes, selling the future of its people for political gain.
The Addo regime has developed cozy ties with dictators and has become a puppet of France, betraying the principles of sovereignty and self-determination that Ghanaians fought so hard to protect.
Ghana has long been regarded as the cradle of Pan-Africanism, thanks to visionary leaders like Kwame Nkrumah, who famously declared, "Ghana is not free until all of Africa is free."
He championed the cause of African unity and actively supported the liberation struggles across the continent. Leaders like JJ Rawlings continued that legacy, extending Ghana’s solidarity to freedom movements from Togo to Angola, South Africa to Liberia, and beyond.
But today, it is the people of Ghana who need our solidarity.
Often, those who have always given support do not receive it in return, and that is the plight of Ghana’s civil society. The world is misled into believing that Ghana is thriving, leaving the voices of its people unheard. It is our collective responsibility to stand with them and resist the neocolonial, extractive, and economically perverted regime that is destroying the nation's fabric. When Ghana falls, we all fall.
As elections approach in December, it is clear that the regime will do everything in its power to prevent voices like Oliver’s from being heard. They are terrified of the truth he speaks, the light he shines on their failures, and the hope he gives to the people. But we will not remain silent. We will not allow Oliver’s struggle to be in vain.
I call on all of you Africans, comrades, and freedom fighters across the world to raise your voices in solidarity with Oliver Barker Vormawor. Demand his immediate release and an end to the political repression in Ghana. Let us stand together against these injustices, for we know that an injury to one is an injury to all.
In solidarity and in struggle, Farida Bemba Nabourema Panafrican Activist.
About the Author
Farida Nabourema is a Togolese activist, writer, and human rights advocate known for her unwavering fight for democracy and social justice in Togo and across Africa. A strong advocate for Pan-Africanism, Farida believes in the unity of African nations in their fight against neocolonialism and authoritarianidm. She has supported movements across the continent and is a founding member of the KATUTU Civil Rights Center, which empowers African activists through strategic support and training.