Eight candidates sitting for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) from Nangbagu Yapala M/A JHS in the Northern Region were involved in a tragic road accident on Tuesday while en route to their examination centre at Tamale Secondary School (Tamasco) in the Sagnarigu Municipality.

The accident occurred approximately 5 kilometres from the exam venue when the tricycle transporting the students collided with a motorbike carrying a man and his wife.

The motorcyclist died on the spot, while his wife and all eight students sustained varying degrees of injuries.

According to Abdulai Mohammed, a supervisor who accompanied the students, the crash happened after the tricycle’s steering reportedly locked, causing the rider to lose control and ram into the oncoming motorbike.
“We got another means to carry them to the Tamale West Hospital, but because of the ongoing strike, it took a while before they managed to get two nurses and one doctor to attend to them,” Mr Mohammed explained.

Despite their injuries, the students were determined to write the exams. However, they arrived at the centre after the first paper had ended.
“When we got to the centre, they had finished the first paper, and the students were coming out. We isolated our students so they could write, but unfortunately, they were denied.

"The news was a devastating blow.Some of the students began collapsing when they were told they couldn’t write the exam. As we speak, they’ve been rushed back to the hospital,” he added.

The incident has sparked widespread concern among community members and education stakeholders, with calls for urgent intervention to ensure the affected students are not unfairly penalised.

While Ghanaian law prohibits the use of tricycles to transport passengers due to safety concerns, they remain a common mode of transportation in rural and underserved areas, where alternatives are often unavailable.