House of Representatives dismisses sexual misconduct charges against three members

THREE members of the House of Representatives accused of engaging in sexual misconduct during a recent trip to Ohio appear to have been cleared of the allegations after foreign minister Geoffrey Onyeama revealed that there was no evidence against them.

 

Last month, three members 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 the speaker of the House of Representatives Hon Yakubu Dogara, the US ambassador to Nigeria James Entwistle, accused Samuel Ikon (PDP, Akwa Ibom), Mohammed Gbololo (APC, Bauchi) and Mark Gbillah (APC, Benue) of the offences.

 

In response to the allegations, the House set up a committee headed by Hon Ossai Ossai to look into the allegations. Yesterday, however, Mr Onyeama, revealed that there is no concrete evidence against the lawmakers to prove the allegations.

 

He said this while giving evidence to the committee. US ambassador to Nigeria James Entwistle did not appear alongside the minister at the hearing and due to diplomatic immunity, he cannot be mandated to appear before it.

 

Speaking yesterday before the joint House Committee on Ethics and Privileges, and Foreign Relations, Mr Onyeama said Mr Entwistle did not provide any evidence that would prove the allegations. He added that he summoned the outgoing envoy when the story broke and was told that the issues were just allegations.

 

Mr Onyeama said: “He told me that these were allegations and nothing more, that as far as they were concerned, the matter was closed. Mr Entwistle stated that the allegations did not indicate a position that the ambassador had already passed a judgment or the US government.”

 

He added that Mr Entwistle said he simply wanted to bring the matter to Speaker Yakubu Dogara’s attention to inform him that such allegations were made against his members and that the petition was not an indication that the US government regarded the men as guilty. Mr Onyeama noted that Mr Entwistle did not accept the blame for the leakage of the letter to Hon Dogara, which he described as confidential.

 

Mr Entwistle, however, apologised for not writing the speaker through the appropriate channel required by diplomatic conventions according to Mr Onyeama. The minister, however, noted that the House did not intimate the ministry about the International Visitors Leadership Programme invitation to its members, which ought to have been channelled through the ministry.