NADMO to install life jackets at river crossings after Lawra SHS tragedy
By: Rebecca Okine
The Upper West Regional Directorate of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) has announced plans to provide and monitor public-use life jackets at river crossings following the drowning of seven students near Dikpe on Saturday, June 14, 2025.
Upper West Regional NADMO Director, Mr. Abdul Latif Osman, said the move comes in response to the tragic loss of five girls and two boys from Lawra Senior High School during a canoe accident on the Black Volta River.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Osman revealed that although life jackets had previously been distributed to riverine communities, many were missing at the time of the incident.
“NADMO has always provided life jackets to all river villages, but this time we were very surprised that the life jackets we had provided over the years were not found,” he said.
Mr. Osman further explained that some residents had taken the jackets as personal property, contrary to their intended communal use. “What we have realized is that many of these villages take these life jackets as their personal items,” he said, citing feedback from community leaders in the Dikpe area.
To prevent further tragedies, NADMO plans to enforce stricter controls over the use and monitoring of life jackets. “This time, we are going to put in place some measures so that these are not going to be personal life jackets, but for public use,” Mr. Osman said.
At a briefing with the Upper West Regional Security Council, Regional Minister Charles Lwanga Puozuing expressed condolences on behalf of the government.
“It is unfortunate that we have lost vibrant, young, and upcoming individuals. We pray for the families, the school, and the entire community affected by this heartbreaking event,” Mr. Puozuing said.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) also described the incident as a “heartbreaking tragedy” in a statement released on Monday, June 16. Sixteen second-year cadet students had embarked on a morning jogging exercise to the banks of the Black Volta. Ten students attempted to cross the river in a canoe, which capsized midway. The deceased were identified as Loise Kaati, Florence Kandera, Joyce Kuzare, Evelyn Batumatu, Munira Abu, Maxwell Dampuorideme, and Alfred Foyi. Three other students were rescued. GES confirmed that one of the deceased students, a Muslim, was buried in accordance with Islamic rites. The remaining six were scheduled to be buried on Monday in coordination with their families.
