Chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and former Deputy Finance Minister, 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 on October 27 during a PAC sitting that reviewed the DVLA’s planned rollout of digital vehicle number plates. The exchange stemmed from Mrs. Osei Asare’s questions on privacy and data protection under the authority’s new digitisation initiative.
The DVLA is set to introduce number plates embedded with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips, which Mr. Kotey said would 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.”
Mrs. Osei Asare, however, raised concerns about whether the new plates might compromise the privacy of vehicle owners, particularly if personal details such as surnames would be displayed.
Speaking on Channel One TV, the PAC Chair said her tone during the exchange was not out of anger but out of responsibility.
“I wasn’t angry, but you know when you are in a position, you have to live up to it,” she said. “You came and 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 questions. Ghanaians need answers,” she added.
When asked whether the matter had since been resolved, Mrs. Osei Asare replied, “I gave him the opportunity to answer, and he chose to answer the way he did.”
The exchange highlights PAC’s continued role in promoting transparency and accountability in public institutions, even as they advance digital transformation initiatives such as modernising vehicle registration systems.