Parliament Summons Muntaka, Jinapor Over Lawra SHS Student Drownings
Ministers to address urgent safety concerns over water transport in vulnerable communities.
- Parliament has summoned Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak and Energy Minister John Jinapor
- The lack of life jackets in river-dependent communities along the Black Volta is a central concern prompting urgent action.
- Lawra MP Bede Ziedeng calls for immediate aid
The Interior Minister, Muntaka Mubarak, and the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, have been summoned to appear before Parliament next week to address urgent safety concerns regarding the absence of life jackets in communities reliant on water transport.
This parliamentary summons follows the heartbreaking drowning of seven students from Lawra Senior High School, who lost their lives while crossing the Black Volta River on June 13, 2025.
Because the Volta River played a central role in the tragedy, the Energy Minister’s presence is necessary to discuss the safety challenges faced by riverside communities.
During a session on Tuesday, June 17, Second Deputy Speaker Andrew Asiamah Amoako supported a motion from Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor calling for the ministers to be questioned in Parliament. He emphasized the urgent need for action, stating, “We should consider allocating a part of the Interior Ministry’s budget to address this emergency. It is a critical matter.”
In response, Lawra’s Member of Parliament, Bede Ziedeng, appealed to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Regional Coordinating Council, and the Lawra Municipal Assembly to immediately provide life jackets to communities along the Black Volta.
“I call on NADMO, the Regional Coordinating Council, and the Lawra Municipal Assembly to support Lawra SHS and the grieving families,” he said.
Ziedeng also committed to donating ten life jackets to the affected areas and urged Parliament to enact swift legislation to prevent similar future tragedies.
