Niyi Odebode, Friday Olokor, Adelani Adepegba
and Ade Adesomoju
Prominent groups and civil rights activists have
described as embarrassing the alleged sexual
misconduct of three members of the House of
Representatives during their visit to the United
States. The groups and individuals, in separate
interviews with Sunday PUNCH, said if the allegation
was established, the affected members should
resign or be recalled by their constituents.
and Ade Adesomoju
Prominent groups and civil rights activists have
described as embarrassing the alleged sexual
misconduct of three members of the House of
Representatives during their visit to the United
States. The groups and individuals, in separate
interviews with Sunday PUNCH, said if the allegation
was established, the affected members should
resign or be recalled by their constituents.
The US Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, in
a letter dated June 9, 2016, addressed to the
Speaker of the House, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, had
alleged that three members of the House,
Mohammed Garba Gololo (APC, Bauchi), Samuel
Ikon (PDP, Akwa Ibom) and Mark Gbillah (APC,
Benue) had, on a recent visit to the US for the
International Visitor Leadership Programme, brought
disrepute to the parliament by soliciting for sex
from prostitutes and grabbing a hotel housekeeper
in a bid To Molest her.
The affected lawmakers have, however, denied all
the allegations and threatened to sue the
ambassador and the US government for “character
defamation and a calculated attempt to ridicule the
National Assembly.”
But a lawyer and President of Committee for
Defence of Human Rights, Mr. Malachy
Ugwummadu, described the “scandal as one too
many.”
Malachy said, “Once again, this has embarrassed
our sensibility; it has scandalised us.
“Beyond the report of the scandal, it demands a
thorough investigation. It is gratifying that the
House of Representatives asked its committee to
get to the root of the matter.
“The US Ambassador cannot write the report
frivolously. If it is established that the allegations
against the lawmakers are true, the legislators
should be recalled by their constituents as provided
for under the Constitution.”
He also said they should be prosecuted either in
Nigeria or in the US depending on available
evidence.
Another lawyer and rights activist, Mr. Jiti Ogunye,
who made a similar call, dismissed the threat of
legal action by the legislators.
He said the legislators would have a tough case to
make as the US Ambassador would not have made
the allegation without evidence.
Ogunye said, “The allegation of attempt of immoral
dalliance and consummation of prostitution in the
US levelled against the members of the House of
Representatives is very disturbing.
“Our legislators are globally notorious for earning
more than they deserve paradoxically, in a country
where the people are living in largely below the
poverty line.
“However, the allegation of going to the US to
procure illicit sex has added further insult to our
injury.
“We hope that the allegation is not true. But what is
expected to debunk the allegation is the laughable
threat of instituting legal action against a diplomat
that has diplomatic immunity that cannot be sued
here by the legislators.
“If the allegation is established, the legislators
should resign from office. And if they remain in
office they should be barred from embarking on
foreign trips so that they will not further disgrace
Nigeria.”
Another prominent lawyer, Mr. Wahab Shittu, said
the scandal was a reflection of Nigeria’s collapsing
value system.
Shittu said, “I think the scandal is a reflection of our
collapsing value system.
The case should not be swept under the carpet. The
Nigerian government should have interest in this
matter because it borders on our international
image and integrity. It borders on our integrity and
our image and it should be treated as such.
“If the legislators are indicted and their allegations
and found to be guilty, they should be recalled by
their constituents if they don’t have the courage to
resign.”
On his part, the National Publicity Secretary of
Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, urged the House to
suspend those involved.
He stated, “The House of Representatives must
launch an investigation into the allegations and
possibly suspend the characters, pending the
outcome of the investigation.
“If a guilt verdict is established, they should be
made to vacate their seats as a deterrence to other
wayward characters.
The issue deserves investigation because America
would have no reason to single out three of them
out of 10 for these serious allegations.”
Also a US-based activist, Smart Ajaja, in an
interview with one of our correspondents, said the
allegation gave every responsible Nigerian residing
in America a cause for concern.
“The incident of sexual misconduct, especially rape
or attempted rape, when reported, is a grievous
offense and regardless of who you are, you will be
made to face the full weight of the applicable law if
and when a firm case to that effect is established
against you,” he said.
According to him prostitution, though a lesser
sexual misconduct falling under the misdemeanour
categorisation, is illegal in most states of the US.
Ajaja stated, “It is also interesting that there are
now some Nigerian women-pimps who specialise in
arranging fellow Nigerian women including
vulnerable married women looking for contracts,
cash and connections in Nigeria, for interested
visiting Nigerian politicians to the US.”
When contacted, the US Embassy in Nigeria refused
to respond to request for further information on the
alleged involvement of three members of House of
Representatives in sex scandal in Cleveland, US.
An email request on Saturday on the next step
being taken by the US government on the scandal
did not receive a positive response from the
mission in Abuja.
The mission Press Attaché, Sean McIntosh, insisted
that the embassy would not comment on “private
diplomatic correspondence.”
McIntosh said, “Again, we decline to comment on
private diplomatic correspondence. Visa records are
confidential per the U.S. Immigration and Nationality
Act.”
