The Chief Executive Officer of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Julius Neequaye Kotey, is facing stiff social media criticism following his announcement about plans to send staff to five countries to offer license services for Ghanaians abroad.
Julius Neequaye Kotey, the DVLA CEO, speaking at the commissioning of a new DVLA office at Bantama in Kumasi, made this announcement.
According to him, some staff will soon be travelling abroad to provide relevant drivers and vehicle licensing services to persons who would not necessarily need to return home to register and renew their licenses.
The DVLA CEO stated, “Some of you, the DVLA staff, you are travelling overseas to go and provide services in five countries outside. We have gotten approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for them to travel and do this for Ghanaians staying abroad. They don’t need to come down to renew their one-year license, which has expired. We will provide all licensing services for them”.
“Transfer is not punishment. It is just to tell you that your services are needed somewhere else, and we need you to be there for the efficiency and effective running of that office. Surely, more transfers will be coming on board. Stay by your table. When you get it, you look at the date, you pack your things, and you go,” he said.
The DVLA CEO’s plans have been met with intense social media criticism, with many critics arguing that Ghanaians living abroad do not drive or require Ghanaian driver’s licences once outside the country.
According to them, the DVLA’s plans would amount to a waste of taxpayers’ money, adding that the resources could be better directed toward improving services at local DVLA offices.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor, leading the charge, stated, “Abort! Abort! Abort!
This just smells like an upcoming scandal. When it looks like a scandal, sounds like a scandal, it will be a scandal.1 visa 1 license!”.
Manasseh Azure Awuni, in a Facebook post, also wrote, “How? I mean, how could anyone come up with this?”
In another post on X, he added, “This must be a joke”.
Kwaku Azar also, in a post, stated, “DVLA, thanks, but instead of licenses, just send us ‘wrɛwrɛ’ soup. Da Yie!”.
Other Ghanains under the JOYNEWS post stated, “Please, what is the meaning of digitalization?
So a whole DVLA has no system where Drivers license can be renewed or acquired?
Herh Ghana is a finished country
Or they have started the Create, loot and share agenda”.
A netizen added, “Anyone who stays in any of these countries for more than 6months has to automatically apply for a local license. After those 6 months (sometimes specified as 185 days). The foreign (non-EU) license is no longer valid for driving in the EU. You must then hold a EU driving license to continue driving legally. So any renewals of the Ghanaian license are pointless for anyone abroad”.
“What is this unnecessary cost for the taxpayer. Who accesses initiatives of government appointees in sectors where they manage? Is it a force to come out with some kind of initiative or what? He has been overzealous with some fantasies since his appointment”, one more Ghanaian added.
Meanwhile, the DVLA, in a statement, has said media headlines circulating on its extended services abroad were misleading.
The DVLA explained that under their arrangement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, embassy staff will be trained to verify applicants’ documents and forward them to the DVLA in Ghana for processing.
The DVLA clarified that, “For clarity, the DVLA, through an arrangement with the Foreign Affairs Ministry, has agreed to collaborate with Ghana’s Embassies across the globe to provide selected services, including International Driver’s Permit and Driver’s Licence Renewal to qualified Ghanaian citizens domiciled in other countries. The pilot phase will be undertaken in the United States of America, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and the High Commission of the United Kingdom.
As part of the implementation plan, the DVLA will provide training to Embassy staff to do verification of documents and forward them to DVLA for processing. Once the processing is done, the Authority would then return the processed documents to the various Embassies for pick-up by the applicants.
This operation does not in any way mean that the DVLA would post its domestic staff to work at Embassies in the aforementioned countries, as the news headlines sought to portray”.
Watch the video below:
DVLA Chief Executive, Julius Neequaye Kotey, discloses the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has approved processes for some selected DVLA staff to be stationed in five countries in both Europe and America to offer license services.#JoyNews pic.twitter.com/qMxwYoy6yo
— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) February 26, 2026