House of Reps speaker Hon Dogara challenges US to prove sexual misconduct allegations

HOUSE of Representatives speaker Hon Yakubu Dogara has responded to allegations by the US government that three parliamentarians engaged in acts of sexual impropriety during a recent visit to Cleveland by stating that they are innocent until proven guilty.

 

Last week, three members of the House of Representatives were accused of attempted rape and sexual misconduct by the US government including soliciting sex from prostitutes during a recent visit to Cleveland in Ohio. In a strong-worded letter to Hon Dogara, the US ambassador to Nigeria James Entwistle, accused Samuel Ikon (PDP, Akwa Ibom), Mohammed Gololo (APC, Bauchi) and Mark Gbillah (APC, Benue) of the offences.

 

In the petition, Hon Gololo was reported by a hotel house keeper to have grabbed her and sought sex. Hon Ikon and Hon Gbillah for their part, were alleged to have sought the assistance of hotel park attendants to help them get prostitutes.

 

There have been calls for stringent action to be taken against the trio by Hon Dogara took to social media yesterday, challenging the US to prove the allegations. Already, all three parliamentarians have denied the allegations and have threatened to institute legal action against the US government.

 

Hon Dogara added: “He who alleges must prove, that’s the law. As we speak no evidence has been put forward other than the letter sent to my office and copied to many others.

 

“Together with the US embassy in Nigeria we will get to the bottom of this matter and until then let’s not be judgemental. Social media trial and conviction of members alleged to have committed the offence is taking up arms against our laws."

 

He further out that under Nigeria’s laws, an accused person is deemed innocent until proven guilty and he enjoys the benefit of any doubt. Hon Dogara,  advised Nigerians to refrain from passing judgment and wait for the outcome of investigation by parliament.

 

In addition, the speaker maintained that as ambassadors of the House and indeed, the entire country, the lawmakers at the middle of the scandal would have known not to bring dishonour to the institution they represent. He vowed that the House would conduct an investigation into allegations, emphasising that apart from the letter, no evidence had been forwarded to his office and that there can be no conviction without a trial.

 

He also revealed that the lawmakers had indicated that they were prepared to defend themselves at their own cost. Hon Dogara, however, denied the attempted rape allegation as reported by a section of the media, saying that the issue of attempted rape was not alluded to in the letter sent to him.