Offinso MP denies bussing minors

Member of Parliament for Offinso North Collins Ntim has denied any involvement in the bussing of 30 minors to participate in the limited voter registration exercise in his constituency.

This comes after reports that the youth were in a bus parked near the home of the MP awaiting his instruction.

A reporter with Cruz FM in the Ashanti region, Gabby Mensah, told Class FM’s Nana Kissi Attafuah on the Executive Breakfast Show that he could confirm that the young people in the KIA mini bus were being transported to register to later vote for the MP in November’s elections.

“Cruz FM has been able to confirm that the people were being brought here to register. The bus was near the incumbent MP’s house at Offinso here. On arrival, members of the Youth for Mahama Group, who were also there, had started questioning the driver. So he got alarmed and sped off and we also chased them. The driver stopped at a place called Asempaneye, the occupants numbering about 30 got off the bus and started running into the bush. They were kids whose ages ranged from 16 to 17; some of them could be 18 years. The driver indicated that a gentleman from Offinso organised the children from various places in Kumasi and gathered at Breman in Kumasi. So, he [the driver], went to pick them and were waiting to get into the house of the MP for Offinso North,” he narrated on May 2, 2016.

However, the MP, Mr Ntim, has denied the accusations saying he had a series of meetings and those meetings were not with minors.

“How can I have a meeting with minors [when] as a Member of Parliament I am supposed to be responsible? That is palpably false. Are you saying minors cannot come to my house? They do come, including some National Democratic Congress (NDC) members. I do not have any bad intentions. Sometimes you need to discuss critical issues that will bring peace. It is of no merit; I do not think the NDC people will even allow them to register and after that come to my house,” he stated.

Attempts to reach the district police commander for the area has proved futile.