Kofi Asare, the Executive Director of the education think tank, Africa Education Watch, has demanded that Ghanaian universities must use fingerprints as a means of identifying students.
In a post on social media, Kofi Asare wrote, “In memory of UCC’s Kweku Mensah, who died chasing his ID card for an exam, all tertiary exam halls must use fingerprint IDs”.
It will be recalled that a student of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), named Caleb Mensah, popularly known as Paywa, tragically lost his life.
Reports suggest the UCC student left his student ID upon arriving at the examination room he was asked to go back for it.
Caleb, who was a passenger on a motorcycle, reportedly dropped an item. As the rider turned back to retrieve it, they hit a pothole. The impact caused Caleb to jump off the bike. In an unfortunate turn of events, he stepped into the path of an oncoming shuttle, which struck and ran over him.
He was rushed to the hospital immediately, but sadly did not survive.
UCC in an official statement on the tragic road accident wrote, “Cape Coast, Friday, 6th March, 2026: We regret to announce the tragic death of Mr. Kweku Mensah, a Level 200 Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) student, following a road traffic accident on campus on Thursday, 5th March 2026, at about 3:00 p.m. along the Amissah-Arthur Language Centre and the Sandwich Lecture Theatre (SWLT) stretch.
Preliminary information indicates that the student was riding on a motorcycle to retrieve his identification card from Oguaa Hall for a scheduled examination. The motorcycle reportedly collided with an Ayalolo bus, leading to severe injuries. The student was rushed to the UCC Hospital, where he was unfortunately pronounced dead after efforts to resuscitate him failed.
The matter has been reported to the UCC Police and the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) for investigations. The body has been deposited at the UCC Morgue pending further procedures. Subsequently, his family has been duly informed about the sad event.
The University extends its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased and urges the University community to remain calm as investigations continue.
Further updates surrounding the incident will be provided in due course”.
Some Ghanaians reacting to the tragic news stated, “That’s why adey love Legon ooo, no space for primitivism. You’d just be asked to download your temporal ID from your STS, and you’re good to go.
We’re in a modern world, but some universities will still choose to make their systems finchiimmm like kako 2gh”, a netizen added.
One more X user added, “It is important to send your ID to the exam room, but in unusual circumstances where the student has forgotten the ID, there must be a way of consideration at the last hour. Preventing the student from writing the exams at the last hour or asking the student to go back is a problem”.
A netizen added, “So the school authority could not identify the student even in the midst of his course mates? The university authorities k!lled him. I have experienced the same situation in the university. I had to provide my student ID before I was allowed to write the examination”.
“So who will in his right senses will bathe and go n sit for an exams if he’s not the one? You will talk of impersonation, don’t they have biometrics in this era? Waku no kwa”, a netizen added.
One netizen added, “Now that the invigilator will live the rest of his life with the guilt that it was his fault that led to the death of a young man”.
Additionally, an X user added, “Stupid university exam rules that have proven ineffective are still being used. Why not set up alternative student verification Systems? A biometric system could even help”.