Certified Driving Instructors Hit Back At DVLA Boss Over Training Standards Comment - Demand Evidence Or Retraction

The Association of Certified Driving Instructors of Ghana (ASSODRIVE) has taken on the Chief Executive Officer of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Mr. Julius Neequaye Kotey, over his comments that private driving schools are not training drivers to the Authority's satisfaction.

In a press statement dated August 21, 2026 and signed by its National President, Inst. Marshall MK Bobobee, ASSODRIVE said the CEO made the remark on August 16, 2026, and used it to justify the establishment of a new DVLA skills development center.

*"Silence Means He Meant It"*

The Association said it has waited almost a week for a correction if the CEO was misquoted, but none has come.

"If the CEO had been misquoted by the media, the ordinary and expected response would have been a swift, public correction. None has come. His continued silence in the face of a publication that directly dents the professional image of certified driving instructors leaves us with no choice but to conclude that he meant exactly what was published," the statement said.

ASSODRIVE also criticized the Ghana National Association of Driving Schools (GHANADRIVE), the umbrella body of driving schools, for staying silent for a week on an issue that questions the quality of training its members provide. "Silence from an association whose members are directly accused is not neutrality; it invites the public to assume agreement."

*4-Point Legal Rebuttal*

ASSODRIVE raised four legal points:

1. DVLA Licenses Drivers, Not Schools: Under Section 3(1)(d) of Act 569, it is DVLA that issues licenses. Instructors only teach, while DVLA tests and certifies fitness to drive. If a licensed driver proves unsatisfactory, the failure is at DVLA's own testing gate which no school controls.

2. Standards and Syllabi Are DVLA's Own: Section 3(1) of Act 569 mandates DVLA to set standards for training and testing of instructors and drivers, provide syllabi, and license instructors. Every ASSODRIVE member is certified by DVLA and NVTI and bound by DVLA's syllabus. If graduates fall short, the fault traces back to standards DVLA itself designs and administers.

3. Supervisory Duty Lies With DVLA: Section 3(1)(m) of Act 569 charges DVLA to ensure strict compliance with the law. A public verdict against schools without prior engagement is more an admission of DVLA's own supervisory gap than a fair assessment.