The Nation Newspaper

Tag: U.S sex scandal

  • Sex scandal: Reps seek audience with U.S ambassador

    Sex scandal: Reps seek audience with U.S ambassador

    The House of Representatives is seeking an audience with the United States Ambassador in Nigeria,Mr. James Entwistle after the envoy shunned Thursday’s investigative public hearing by the House on the alleged  sexual misconduct  by three of its members during a recent visit to the U.S.
    The decision to meet Entwistle was a reversal to the House insistence on Thursday that the ambassador must attend the hearing now rescheduled for July 20.
    The envoy shunned the public  hearing citing diplomatic immunity.
    The investigation was triggered by a June 9 petition by Entwistle to  Speaker  Yakubu Dogara in which he accused Mohammed Garba Gololo (Bauchi), Samuel Ikon (Akwa Ibom) and  Mark Gbillah (Benue) of attempted rape and soliciting sex from prostitutes during official visit to his country last April.
     
    The Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas told journalists on Friday that the House will ” go to the Ambassador”  if necessary in a bid to get to the root of the matter.
    It was gathered that the House had just come to the realization that the ambassador could not be summoned by the House on account of his immunity.

    The Chairperson of the House Committee on Foreign Relations, Elendu- Ukeje, drew attention to the Vienna Convention which precludes an Ambassador from being summoned by his host country’s legislature.
    He proposed that  the best option was to allow the Minister of Foreign Affairs provide an enabling platform for interaction between the committee and Entwistle.

     

     

  • Sex scandal: Reps panel shifts hearing to July 20

    The investigative panel set up by the House of Representatives to probe the alleged sex scandal involving three members of the House on Thursday shifted hearing on the matter to July 20.

    The trio of Hon. Mohammed Garba Gololo (APC, Bauchi), Hon. Samuel Ikon (PDP, Akwa Ibom) and Hon. Mark Gbillah (APC, Benue), who were among 10 legislators invited by the United States Government  to a leadership training programmed  in Cleveland, Ohio, were accused of engaging in illicit sexual activities by the U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle.

    Gbillah’s wife, Sophia, was seen at the hearing with a baby on Thursday.

    The U.S ambassador, who was invited by the House members to testify on the matter, was consciously absent at the hearing.

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, who had reportedly interacted with the U.S Ambassador on the issue, was also absent at the sitting.

    The minister, however, sent a letter to the lawmakers, informing them he would be absent at the hearing.

    The letter reads:

    ” I regret that I would not be able to attend the scheduled committee hearing as it coincides with the 29th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council  of the African Union which I will be attending in Kigali, Rwanda from 13-15 July 2016.

    “I would however be pleased to appear before the Committee at any other time after my return from Kigali on 19th July 2016.”

     

  • Sex scandal: Dogara to meet U.S Ambassador Thursday

    Sex scandal: Dogara to meet U.S Ambassador Thursday

    The Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, will on Thursday meet the outgoing United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, over the allegation of sexual misconduct levelled against three members of the House.

    Investigative public hearing on the scandal begins on Thursday and Entwistle is expected to provide video clips of the incident.

    The incident allegedly occurred during the International Visitor Leadership Programme held in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S, between April 7 and April 13 and attended by 10 members of the lower chamber.

    The Chairman of House Committee on Ethics and Privileges, Nicholas Ossai, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the committee did not invite management of the hotel where the alleged misconduct occurred.

    According to him, we decided not to extend invitation to the hotel management since the Ambassador who broke the information through a letter to the speaker has documentary evidence against the three lawmakers.

    The three lawmakers involved in the allegation are Mohammed Gololo (APC-Bauchi), Samuel Ikon (PDP-Akwa Ibom) and Mark Gbillah (APC-Benue).

    They allegedly solicited sex from prostitutes and grabbed hotel housekeeper in a bid to rape her.

    Ossai said the committee had also invited the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and National Human Rights Commission.

    He said the committee did not carry out any secret investigation, urging anyone with useful information to submit same to the committee on or before commencement of the hearing.

     

  • U.S sex scandal: House begins probe of three lawmakers

    U.S sex scandal: House begins probe of three lawmakers

    The House of Representatives on Tuesday formally began the investigation of three members accused of sexual impropriety during a leadership training in the United States.

    The Speaker of the House, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, while instituting the Investigation mandated the House Committees on Ethic and Privileges and Foreign Affairs to ensure a detailed investigation into the issue in order to allow lawmakers make an informed decision on the matter.

    The three lawmakers – Hon. Mohammed Garba Gololo (APC, Bauchi), Hon. Samuel Ikon (PDP, Akwa Ibom) and Hon. Mark Gbillah (APC, Benue) were part of 10 legislators invited by the U.S government for the International Visitor Leadership Program held between April 7 and 13 in Cleveland, Ohio.

    The U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, James F. Entwistle, had via a letter dated June 9, 2016, sent to the Speaker of the House, accused the three lawmakers of sexual impropriety during the program.

    One of the three lawmakers, Gbillah while moving a motion under orders of Privilege, said the country has been inundated with reports about the alleged sexual impropriety levelled against him and two others.

    He said: “In the last couple of days. The Nigerian media has been inundated with reports about allegations against me and two other members.

    “The United States Ambassador alleged that that one of us grabbed a housekeeper and that two of us asked an attendant for prostitutes. I want to state categorically that no such incident occurred.”

    The lawmaker expressed surprise that although the case has not been proven beyond doubt, they have already been condemned by the U.S Ambassador, hence violating the principle of fair hearing.

    “None of the accused has been given fair hearing. But the Ambassador has concluded that we committed the offence. We are in the eye of the storm. We demand that justice be done and we will not relent until this matter is resolved

    “Nigerians should realize that although we are in the eyes of the storm, this is something that is calculated to smear the image of the members and the institution that we represent.”

    “I love my wife and have never cheated on her. I travel with my wife and I have eyes only for my wife. I dare the U.S government and the Ambassador to prove the allegation,” Gbillah added.

     

  • Count me out of U.S sex scandal – Rep

    Mr. Samuel Ikon, one of the three House of Representatives members accused of sexual indiscretion in the United States, has dismissed the allegation as untrue, saying his identity had been mistaken.

    Ikon, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker representing Etinan/Nsit Ibom/Nsit Ubium Constituency of Akwa Ibom, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday that the allegation was in bad taste.

    The U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, had on Wednesday petitioned the House of Representatives, alleging that Ikon and two other lawmakers solicited sex from prostitutes in Cleveland, Ohio, recently.

    The lawmaker said he was at a loss as to what the U.S envoy intended to achieve with the allegation, insisting that he had been mistakenly dragged into a matter he knew nothing about.

    Ikom said he was happy that the lower chamber had commenced investigation into the matter and expressed confidence that he would be cleared.

    The lawmaker also said he had briefed his lawyers to initiate legal and diplomatic steps to get to the root of the matter “to clear my name and the institution I represent.”

    Condemning the allegation by the ambassador, Ikon said, “I wish to state unequivocally that this is false and definitely not me.
    “This, to me is a case of mistaken identity and I will be vindicated. I have initiated measures both legal and diplomatic to clear my name and the institution I represent.

    “There are many questions left unanswered by the actions of the U.S mission but I believe it will become clearer in the course of time.”

    He urged his constituents and Nigerians to be patient as the truth would be unveiled, adding that God would vindicate him.