Three members of Nigeria’s House of
Representatives, Mohammed Gololo (AP-Bauchi); Mark Gbillah (APC-Benue) and
Samuel Ikom (PDP-Akwa Ibom), accused of sexual misconduct while on a trip to
the United States’ authorities, have been exonerated.
The Ethics and Privileges Committee
passed the verdict on Tuesday in a report submitted to the House. The lawmakers
were accused by the former US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle of
sexually assaulting a house keeper and soliciting for sex while attending the
International Visitors Leadership Programme in Cleveland, Ohio.
However, Chairman, House Committee
on Ethics and Privileges, Rep. Nicholas Ossai (PDP-Delta) while presenting the
report said that the lawmakers were cleared for want of evidence.
“Rep. Mohammed Gololo, Rep. Mark Gbillah and
Rep. Samuel Ikom are cleared of and exonerated from the allegations leveled
against them by the US Ambassador to Nigeria in his June 9, 2016 letter to
Speaker for want of evidence.
“In the light of the foregoing, the
Minister of Foreign Affairs should engage the US Ambassador to Nigeria with a
view to finding a seamless resolution of the domestic fall out of this
unfortunate incident as it relates to the lawmakers,’’
Ossai said. He further urged the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs to write to remind the US Embassy of the need to
always adopt the official channel of communications in its dealing with any
organ or institution of government.
The incident allegedly occurred in a
hotel during the International Visitor Leadership Programme in Cleveland, Ohio,
U.S. held between April 7 and April 13. It was attended by 10 members of the
lower chamber.
When the House ordered a probe in
July, the US ambassador was expected to provide video evidence. But it was not
clear whether he eventually did so. Chairman of House Committee on Ethics,
Nicholas Ossai (PDP-Delta), told the then in Abuja that the committee did not
invite management of the hotel where the alleged misconduct occurred.
Source:Vanguard
Tags
Politics