News
Interior Minister assures Parliament of measures to avert drowning at Lawra
The Minister of the Interior Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka has assured Parliament that several measures have been put in place to avert future drowning of residents at Lawra Dikpe-Road in the Upper West Region.
According to the Minister, the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), through coordinated efforts with all relevant agencies, have put in place measures which include, regular sensitisation of canoe owners or operators and residents along the Black Volta Basin, sensitization of students and identifiable bodies on maritime safety, Ghana Maritime Authority providing life jackets to canoe operators along the river, the Ghana Maritime Authority to conduct regular monitoring of canoe operators to ensure safety on the river, ensure all canoes are regularly maintained and lastly provide psychosocial assistance to students of the Lawra Senior High School, especially to the three survivors.
The Minister gave this assurance when he appeared before the House to brief them on the drowning of seven students of Lawra Senior High School on 2nd July 2025.
Giving account on the unfortunate incident to Parliament, he told the House that on Saturday June 14, 2025 at around 09:13 hours, the Headmaster of Lawra Senior High School, Mr. Primus Bero, reported to the Lawra Police Command on telephone that the Lawra SHS School Cadet comprising sixteen (16) students led by the Cadet leader went on a jogging along the Lawra-Dikpe Road.
He said the Cadet leader later called to inform him (Headmaster) that on reaching the Dikpe river (Black Volta), ten (10) of the students in the process of crossing the river with a canoe being paddled by a young man they encountered to cross to the Burkina Faso side of the river capsized midstream leading to the drowning of seven students with only three surviving.
He indicated that the police team led by the District Commander immediately proceeded to the scene and joined the Dipke Community in organizing a search party under the leadership of the Chief of Dikpe.
He indicated that the search party managed to recover the bodies of the students and subsequently released them to their families for burial.
News
Criminal and Seditious Libel Law was repealed in 2001 yet we still face harassment – NPP
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has criticised the government for what it calls a return to the “culture of silence” in Ghana, despite the repeal of the Criminal and Seditious Libel Law more than two decades ago.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, the party said the arrest and detention of its Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, also known as Abronye, for allegedly insulting the Inspector General of Police (IGP) was the latest sign of political intimidation.
According to the NPP, eight months into President John Dramani Mahama’s administration, state security had been “weaponised” not to fight illegal mining or protect citizens, but to intimidate and punish dissenting voices.
The party said insecurity in areas such as Bawku, Nkwanta and Gbeniyiri in the Savannah Region had claimed more than 32 lives and displaced over 50,000 people, yet the police and national security were more focused on arresting opposition supporters and social media users for their posts.
The NPP noted that Ghana abolished the Criminal and Seditious Libel Law in 2001 under President John Agyekum Kufuor to protect free speech and media freedoms.
It described the recent arrests of opposition members as an erosion of those democratic gains.
The party said it did not condone insults or vulgar language in public discourse but stressed that anyone who felt defamed should seek redress through civil defamation suits, not criminal prosecution.
It also accused the government of undermining the judiciary by “weaponising” it against political opponents, citing the removal of the Chief Justice.
“The growing climate of intimidation and criminalisation of speech is a serious assault on Ghana’s democracy,” the statement signed by NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong said.
The NPP called on all Ghanaians to resist what it described as a return to tyranny and pledged to roll out a series of actions to protect the country’s democratic gains.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
NIA opens Premium Centres to register children
The National Identification Authority (NIA) has started registering Ghanaian children aged between six and 14 years at all its Premium Centres across the country.
The Authority says the exercise is part of its duty to register every Ghanaian, both at home and abroad, so that all citizens can have a secure and verifiable national identity.
It explained in a statement issued today that the registration will help build a complete and inclusive National Identity Register (NIR) that captures every Ghanaian from childhood.
According to the NIA, the fee for first-time registration at Premium Centres is GHS 310, which is the approved charge for premium services.
The Authority said the requirements are the same as for applicants aged 15 years and above.
It affirmed that Parents or legal guardians were required to present either a valid Ghanaian passport of the child, the original copy of the child’s birth certificate, or be a Ghana Card holder who can vouch for the child.
The NIA also announced that from Monday, September 15, 2025, its online registration and booking system will be extended to the remaining 11 Premium Centres nationwide.
This it said will allow parents and guardians to schedule appointments more conveniently and avoid delays at the centres.
It further stated that information on the issuance of Ghana Cards for children aged six to 14 years who had already registered will be shared later.
In the coming weeks, the Authority plans to extend this registration service to all NIA District Offices to make it easier for more people to access the service.
By: Jacob Aggrey
