The Member of Parliament (MP) for Lawra, Hon. Bede A. Ziedeng, has delivered an emotional statement on the tragic drowning of seven students from Lawra Senior High School in the Black Volta River at Dikpe.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, June 14, 2025, involved 10 students who attempted to cross the river in a canoe as part of an early morning cadet jogging routine. Three students were rescued, but seven lost their lives, sending shockwaves throughout the Upper West Region and the nation.
“This is not just a tragedy for Lawra. It is a national calamity. These were not just students; they were the hope of their families, the pride of their school, and the future of our nation,” Hon. Ziedeng said.
The MP confirmed that the victims were part of the school’s cadet corps and had crossed the river in an overcrowded canoe without life jackets. A young boy was steering the canoe, which began taking on water midstream. In a panic, the students jumped into the river but could not swim to safety. Their commander, a trained swimmer, managed to rescue three before the others perished.
“Out of the 10 students, only three were rescued. Two were from Lawra, two from Daffiama/Bussie/Issah, one from Nandom, one from Wa, and one from Nadowli/Kaleo,” the MP lamented.
In an emotional plea, Hon. Ziedeng urged the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to urgently provide life jackets to the Dikpe community and all riverine communities along the Black Volta. “This should not be allowed to happen again,” he stressed.
To prevent future tragedies, the MP pledged to immediately donate 10 life jackets to the community. “Let this not be another case of ‘we could have done something but didn’t.’ We must act now to safeguard our young ones,” he said.
Hon. Ziedeng also criticised the stalled Dikpe Bridge project, which was initiated by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2020 but has since been abandoned. “The site has become a habitat for rodents and reptiles,” he said. “It’s time for the Minister of Roads and Highways to treat the bridge as a national emergency.”
Calling for bipartisan unity, he stated, “This is not the time for politics. We must rise above partisanship. The safety and development of our people must take precedence.”
He expressed heartfelt condolences on behalf of the Lawra Constituency to the bereaved families, the school authorities, and the student body stating, “May the gentle souls of the departed rest in perfect peace,” urging that the House remember the victims “not just with words, but with action.”
The tragic loss has reignited calls for better infrastructure, improved safety measures along water bodies, and swift government intervention to protect students and communities across the country.
