“I wasn’t angry” — Abena Osei Asare clarifies exchange with DVLA Boss
The Chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and former Deputy Minister of Finance, Abena Osei Asare, has clarified that she was not angry during her recent exchange with the Chief Executive Officer of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Julius Neequaye Kotey.
The encounter occurred during the PAC sitting on October 27, when the committee was reviewing the DVLA’s planned rollout of digital vehicle number plates. The exchange followed Mrs. Osei Asare’s concerns about privacy and data protection under the authority’s new digitisation initiative.
The DVLA is introducing number plates embedded with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips, which, according to Mr. Kotey, are designed to enhance security and curb vehicle-related crimes. He explained that the RFID-enabled plates would make it “very difficult for external entities to tamper with or replicate” vehicle information.
However, Mrs. Osei Asare questioned whether the new plates might compromise the privacy of vehicle owners, particularly if personal details such as surnames would be visible.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View with Bernard Avle on Monday, November 10, the PAC Chair clarified her demeanor during the exchange.
“I wasn’t angry, but you know when you are in a position you have to live up to it. You came, you told us you were doing ABCD, with reference to the number plates, you are coming up with new security features… When we sit there, it’s about the people of Ghana, and we echo their concerns.
“When we give you the opportunity to share what you do, it’s not about Abena or the Ranking member asking. But Ghanaians need answers.”
Asked if the matter had since been resolved, she responded:
“I gave him the opportunity to answer and he chose to answer the way he did.”
The exchange underscored PAC’s continuing efforts to ensure that public institutions remain transparent and accountable, even as they pursue digital transformation initiatives such as the modernisation of vehicle registration systems.
Source: CitiNewsRoom
