Parliament is set to summon the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, and the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, next week to address pressing concerns over the lack of life jackets in water-dependent communities.
The call follows the heartbreaking death of seven students from Lawra Senior High School who drowned while attempting to cross the Black Volta on June 13, 2025.
Given the incident’s connection to the Volta River, Energy Minister John Jinapor has been included in the discussion to help address broader safety issues affecting riverside communities.
The decision to summon the ministers was endorsed by Second Deputy Speaker Andrew Asiamah Amoako during a parliamentary sitting on Tuesday, June 17. He backed a motion by Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, stressing the urgency of the matter.
“If we can review the Interior Ministry’s budget and allocate part of it to address this emergency, it would be crucial,” Asiamah stated.
In a related appeal, the Member of Parliament for Lawra, Bede Ziedeng, called on the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council, and the Lawra Municipal Assembly to provide life jackets to residents along the Black Volta.
“I appeal to NADMO, the Regional Coordinating Council and the Lawra Municipal Assembly to come to the aid of Lawra SHS and the bereaved families,” Ziedeng said.
He further pledged to donate ten life jackets to the affected communities and urged Parliament to enact immediate legislative measures to prevent future tragedies.
