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.
Ahyiresu and Abofrem, two quiet communities in the Atwima Mponua District, have been shaken to the core by a chilling midnight drama that reads like a nightmare.
A pastor and a young mother stand accused of attempting to bury a five‑month‑old baby girl alive, a crime that has ignited outrage and disbelief across the township.
According to police, Apostle Richmond Akwasi Frimpong, 36, Head Pastor of the Anointed Grace Prayer Ministry at Kuffour Camp, conspired with his uncle Emmanuel Appiah, 53, and the child’s mother, 23‑year‑old Beatrice Agyapomaa, to dispose of the infant, Anaya Achiaa, under the cover of darkness.
A fourth suspect, Emmanuel Donkor, remains on the run.
The suspects were caught near a refuse dump around 10 pm on April 9, 2026, after a vigilant resident, Akwasi Twezor, noticed their suspicious movements.
When confronted, they claimed the child was already dead and had palace approval for burial. But Twezor’s instincts proved right—the baby was still alive, gasping faintly for breath.
Chief Linguist, Nana Yaw Badu, later confirmed that Frimpong had misled him earlier in the evening, securing permission for burial by falsely declaring the child dead.
The infant was rushed to the Abofrem Clinic, where she is now responding well to treatment. Police described her as “very beautiful.”
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Evelyn Yitamkey, Commander of DOVVSU in Bibiani, confirmed that the suspects have been provisionally charged.
Frimpong faces attempted murder and conspiracy charges, while Agyapomaa and Appiah are charged with conspiracy and abetment.
They were remanded by the Bibiani Circuit Court, presided over by Judge Frank Asiedu Nimako, to assist investigations.
The docket has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for advice, ASP Yitamkey indicated.
The attempted crime has provoked fury among residents, many suspecting ritual motives aimed at bolstering the pastor’s influence.
Crowds attempted to attack the suspects outside court, but police intervention prevented mob justice.
The Assembly Member for Ahyiresu, Yusuf Suleiman, has assured residents that justice will be pursued swiftly.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
The forecourt of the African University of Communications and Business (AUCB) in Accra came alive on Friday with colour, creativity and innovation, as Level 300 students transformed the space into a lively exhibition of ideas.
Under the theme “Building meaningful brands beyond the logo,” the students invited patrons into a world where ordinary products were reimagined through storytelling, design and purpose.
From scented candles to innovative food concepts, each stand told a unique story, one that went beyond aesthetics to capture identity, value and human connection.
For many of the students, the event was more than just an academic exercise; it was a moment to dream out loud.
Guided by their lecturer, Peter Wonders, they explored what it truly means to build a brand in today’s competitive world where trust, consistency and experience matter just as much as logos and slogans.
Chairman of the occasion, Nana Kum Gyata VI, in his remarks said a brand is what people say about you when you are not present.
At the end of the presentations, awards were presented to deserving groups with Vida Nyaneba emerging as the overall best branding student.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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