Odita Sunday 
Breaking news: Ecowas court awards #21 million against Ghana and restrains Ghana from expelling Africa citizens,or revoking passports.
The ecowas court in the case of Mary Omerere v. Republic of Ghana (SUIT NO: ECW/CCJ/APP/25/25) in an application registered with the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in may 2025 today being the 23rd June 2026 awarded the aggregate sum of #21 million naira against Ghana on behalf of its citizen whose passport was revoked by Ghana and was refused entry into Ghana by Ghana high commission in London and Lagos with allegations that her international passport was revoked because she married a Nigerian.
The lead lawyer to Mary omerere:Samuel ihensekhien on behalf of league of public interest lawyers also represented in court by Dr S m oyeghe esq and Mike ezeobi esq who all narrated the case to journalist stated that the above case centered on the applicant’s being Mary omerere to her Ghana nationality/citizenship by birth, an further alleged administrative denial and passport revocation actions affecting her passport done to her by the republic of Ghana which resulted in restrictions of her freedom of movement into Ghana. The case was further narrated that the applicant in this case (Mary Omerere, formerly with a different name before marriage) claims Ghanaian citizenship by birth. She married a Nigerian citizen (Henry Obukohwo Omorere) under Nigerian law,and changed her name. She sought to renew her Ghanaian passport at the Ghana High Commission in Lagos, Nigeria (or related UK processes in some accounts . Upon Her international passport renewal application, she faced prolonged delays and was ultimately denied her Ghanian international passport. Officials of Ghana high commission ,and the passport and immigration office allegedly questioned her birth certificate/birth affidavit, citing lack of Nigerian heritage or other issues, and suggested she obtain a Nigerian passport instead. She claims this effectively rescinded or invalidated her Ghanaian passport/travel documentation through administrative action.mary omerere through her counsel further alleged that
Due to the lack of a valid Ghanaian intl passport, she has been unable to travel to Ghana, including being prevented from attending her grandmother’s funeral in Ghana . She describes herself as effectively stateless or without valid travel documentation,impacting her ability to leave/return and exercise residency/travel rights
However other Multiple efforts by her legal counsel to engage Ghanaian authorities (including for DNA testing or further verification) were ignored or ineffective. And she explained that this caused significant personal, family, and financial hardship, plus risks to her legal residency in the united kingdom. Mary omerere further alleges violations of:
Right to nationality and right not to arbitrarily deprived of it (under the Ghana Constitution, African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, ICCPR, etc.).
Right to freedom of movement (to leave and return to her country).
She then soughts orders from the ecowas court which include :
1. Declaration of her Ghanaian citizenship and that it cannot be denied by administrative action.
2. Declaration of violations of her fundamental rights.
3. Order for issuance/renewal of a new Ghanaian international passport immediately.
4. Substantial damages (e.g., hundreds of millions of dollars cited in claims for moral prejudice, aggravated/general damages, and costs of the suit.
However the ecowas court in a well considered judgement today held that:
The republic of Ghana violated Mary omerere rights to freedom of movement and made her stateless and hold
That Ghana breach her Fundamental Human Rights to freedom of movement to leave and return to Ghana as guaranteed by Article 12(2) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and Article 21(2)of the constitution of Ghana.
The ecowas court also held Ghana to that her rights to nationality and the right not to be arbitrarily deprived of her nationality guaranteed by Article 12(2) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Right was breach.
The ecowas court also held that Ghana cannot illegally expel Africans citizens from Ghana except permissible by law and court order and restrain Ghana from breaching international freedom of movement.
The ecowas court also held that within a six periods that Ghana should communicate there decision to issue to the applicants Mary omerere her status as to her passport documentation.
Lastly the ecowas court awarded the sum of twenty million one naira against or $15,000 dollars against Ghana and that the cost of litigation to be assessed by ecowas
Court registry will be paid by Ghana.
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