Bide A. Ziedieng, Member of Parliament for Lawra, has drawn national attention to a tragic incident that occurred on Saturday, June 14, 2025, in the Lawra Constituency of the Upper West Region. Addressing Parliament, he reported the drowning of several students from Lawra Senior High School and stressed that the devastating loss could have been prevented if the students had access to life jackets.
According to the lawmaker, Bide A. Ziedieng, he received the heartbreaking news that seven students from Lawra Senior High School had tragically drowned while trying to cross the Black Volta River at Dikpe, near the Burkina Faso border. The students, all members of the school’s cadet corps, had gone jogging along the riverbank on the morning of Saturday, June 14. Out of the 16 students—11 girls and 5 boys—ten (including 8 girls and 2 boys) boarded a canoe operated by a young boy in an attempt to cross the river.
Their commander leapt into the river to try and save his fellow cadets, successfully pulling three students to safety. Sadly, seven others lost their lives in the water.
In his speech to Parliament, Hon. Bide A. Ziedieng offered his sincere and heartfelt condolences to the grieving families. He also conveyed his sympathy to the headmaster, staff, and students of Lawra Senior High School, all of whom are trying to cope with this tragic loss. “Mr. Speaker,” he stated, “I think this unfortunate and sorrowful incident should serve as a reminder to all of us to live more cautiously, as life can be very unpredictable.”
He revealed that the seven students who lost their lives came from different areas of the Upper West Region: two from Lawra Constituency, two from Daffiama/Bussie/Issah, one from Nandom, one from Wa, and one from Nadowli/Kaleo. Meanwhile, the three students who were rescued are currently receiving treatment.
The Honorable Member emphasized that this tragedy could have been avoided if the students had access to life jackets. “Unfortunately, there were none,” he noted.
He urged NADMO to take immediate action to supply life jackets to Dikpe and other communities along the Black Volta River, where boat transportation is common.
He concluded with a plea: “We must implement preventive measures, including public education on safety and security in river transport. Now is the time to rise above political differences and point-scoring. The safety and progress of our people must come first. The deaths of these seven promising students should serve as a national wake-up call — a tragic alarm ringing from the banks of the Black Volta River at Dikpe, urging us all to act before more lives are lost. Let this house honor these students not just with words but through concrete action.”
