Members of the House of Representatives were last night waiting anxiously for information on the panel which Speaker Yakubu Dogara promised on Thursday to set up to probe the allegation that three Reps groped a hotel chambermaid and tried to solicit prostitutes while visiting the US.
Listed for probe are Mohammed Garba Gololo (Gamawa, Bauchi State) who is alleged to have “grabbed a housekeeper in his hotel room and solicited her for sex,” Mark Terseer Gbillah (Gwer East/Gwer West, Benue) and Samuel Ikon (Etinam/Nsit Ibom/Nsit Ubium, Cross River) both of who allegedly “requested hotel parking attendants to assist them to solicit prostitutes.”
The decision to probe them stemmed from a petition to the Speaker by the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, who said the US government “took pains to confirm these allegations and identities of the individuals with the employees of the hotel.”
Gololo and Gbillah have strenuously denied the allegations.
Gbillah’s US-based wife, Sophia, spoke yesterday with newsmen, defending her husband.
She said her man was wrongly accused.
Although House spokesman, Abdulrazak Namdas, told reporters on Thursday that the Green Chamber of the National Assembly had commenced investigation into the scandal, it was gathered last night that no committee of the House had been assigned the responsibility by the Speaker.
A House source who pleaded anonymity said the leadership of the House appeared to be treading cautiously on the issue, hence the delay in constituting the panel.
The source said: “Normally, the Nicholas Ossai-led Ethics and Privileges Committee that conducts investigation into allegations of misdemeanor by members should have been mandated by the leadership to handle the matter.
“But as we speak, no official information has been forwarded to the committee to commence any investigation in that direction.
“We cannot however rule out the composition of an ad hoc committee to do the job in view of the magnitude of the allegation and the fact that the nation’s image is at stake.
“If the leadership prefers an ad hoc committee, no one should be surprised that some members of the leadership would be members.
“As we speak, nothing has been done so far. But it is also possible that the Speaker might have asked some people (without the knowledge of other members) to carry out the investigation.”
The US Embassy has already cancelled the visas of the three Reps.
Gololo and Gbillah are demanding retraction of the allegations by the ambassador.
Gololo, rising in his own defence, dismissed the allegation against him as false and unfounded.
“I was shocked. I was embarrassed. There is nothing as such that has happened,” he told the BBC.
“You can imagine if one attempted to rape someone or grabbed someone, what stopped the person from screaming? What stopped the person from shouting?” he asked.
“Remember we were there in April. Now we are in June. What stopped them from alleging or stopped them from reporting from April until now? What stopped them from bringing footage or some video clips of how it happened and where it happened?
“It’s false, it’s unfounded, and it’s really embarrassing.”
Gbillah in a lengthy protest letter to the US Ambassador said: “The accused individuals were not accosted with these allegations while in the US so they could immediately defend themselves. The hotel employees conveniently refrained from making these allegations while the members of the group were in the United States and curiously decided to do so after our departure.
“What is the reason behind their not reporting these incidents immediately they occurred and why are we only being informed about these allegations two months after our return from the US?
“None of the members of the group was driving a vehicle while at the hotel and would therefore have had no cause to interact with the car park attendants as the Residence Inn car park is not in front of the hotel but somewhere behind and some distance away from the hotel.
“You will have to go out of your way to go to the car park so video footage should clearly indicate whether or not any member of the group interacted with a hotel car park attendant.
“Other groups comprising African Americans and other ‘people of colour’ were also occupying the Residence Inn while this group of House of Representatives members was visiting Cleveland because of the scheduled basketball game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks at the Quicken Loans Arena, which is just across the road from the hotel.
“What is the certainty of the ability of the probably caucasian hotel car park attendants to accurately identify the specific members of any of the groups at the hotel as being responsible for the purported infractions?”
His engineer wife, Sophia, speaking by phone from the USA, said:
“My husband did not do what he has been accused of. What they have alleged that he did. The few people in Nigeria today, who have had cause to interact with my husband would have come away with a certain impression of the kind of person that my husband is. And that impression is that he is an honourable, but more importantly God- fearing person.
“Because of the value that my husband places on the God he serves, he would never do this kind of thing. Because of the kind of person that my husband is as a person, he would never do this kind of thing. And finally, because my husband values his family and loves me, his wife, he would never do this kind of thing.
“So, yes, my response to all this is: I know my husband very well, and I know my husband did not do anything that they have said; any of the things that they have alleged he did. So the accusations are totally unfounded, completely unfounded.
“Now to the second issue of where I was, where he was…when this program came up, my husband requested officially by e- mail, from the organisers of this programme that he would be traveling with his wife and his baby…we have a 9-month-old baby, that he would like them to accompany him on this programme.
“The person who initially responded to that mail was a bit aggressive in his response, telling my husband that he can’t come with me. The way he responded was not the nicest way, and I have evidence, facts to prove it. It was sent by e-mail and the e- mail is still in existence.
“So, as a result of that, my husband and I agreed that we would travel together, but I decided that no, I’m just going to allow you go and do this thing by yourself in the chosen location. Now after this response from the man who responded initially, we were now able to talk to another one of the organizers of the programme who said it’s okay, I could go but could attend non-official events like the basketball event.
“But I thought I had already decided that since they said it’s an official thing and family is not allowed. You just go do what you have to do. I would be in the US as well, but you go do this.
“Where I am is about 45 minutes to an hour from where my husband was. He was in Washington DC and I was in Owings Mills, Maryland. They had to go to two separate locations – Washinton DC and Cleveland in Ohio. My husband came to see us the night of the day they were supposed to finish from Washington
“My husband and I are constantly on FaceTime when we are not together. Now my husband went to Ohio and I knew just about what went on. The day they were free, he was with me on FaceTime all day.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
What report are we expecting? Everything will be covered up. But we should know that without fire there can be no smoke. Why did not the ambassador mention reps from chana, south Africa or any other country? So there must be some elements of truth in the allegation.
ReplyDeleteWhat did American law makers do to Clinton when he alledly was even fucking Lewinsky in the White House? Are these prostitutes not Americans? Why the holier than thou attitude? It is sad that our law makers could be this terrible but that does not at the same time mean that Americans are saints. That is how they end up marring in dollars when they are supposed to focus on their families or patronize Nigeria by marrying here in Nigeria and in naira.
ReplyDeleteHe-goats were you the only persons that attended the conference from Nigeria. Why don't they mention other people name. No smoke without fire.
ReplyDeleteShameless reps. You guys should cool down, the U.S. will soon rain you down with all their evidences. They are still holding them back, waiting for you to indicte yourselves by denying. They are not fools!
ReplyDeleteYou shameless reps think you were in Nigeria. What a disgrace!
And for that rep's wife, just cool down and be careful what you rant about. Allow the investgators do their jobs. You might think you know the life your husband lives, but you might just be surprised (that's if you don't know already but just trying to cover him up). By the way, you are based on the U.S. while your husband is here in Nigeria. How does he satisfy his sexual pressures? Do you sleep with him via internet? He's made of flesh and blood so, he must have surely been sleeping around! And if so, it is not difficult for him to continue his fornication when he was out there in the U.S.
All our leaders are the same. The only difference between the ones mentioned above and all others is that these ones have been caught.
Shameless leaders!
Shameless reps. You guys should cool down, the U.S. will soon rain you down with all their evidences. They are still holding them back, waiting for you to indicte yourselves by denying. They are not fools!
ReplyDeleteYou shameless reps think you were in Nigeria. What a disgrace!
And for that rep's wife, just cool down and be careful what you rant about. Allow the investgators do their jobs. You might think you know the life your husband lives, but you might just be surprised (that's if you don't know already but just trying to cover him up). By the way, you are based on the U.S. while your husband is here in Nigeria. How does he satisfy his sexual pressures? Do you sleep with him via internet? He's made of flesh and blood so, he must have surely been sleeping around! And if so, it is not difficult for him to continue his fornication when he was out there in the U.S.
All our leaders are the same. The only difference between the ones mentioned above and all others is that these ones have been caught.
Shameless leaders!
What is the big deal here? Soliciting for sex between 2 consenting adults. Though seen as dishonorable on account of the status of persons involved but certainly not a big issue. America is famous for this whistle blowing game against African personalities.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteEnough of all this. The accused should be convicted before news like this is released to the world. Why is it now when the U.S. is currently receiving other important visitor with entourage and all that they are bringing this report out? This is so like them. It's not only to defame the characters of these men but to make Naija look bad - the consequence Entistle was sure to include in his letter to them. If the lawmakers are that bad as accused, is this their first time traveling out of Nigeria, are they newbies? And why bringing this out now? Nothing was said to them about it since. How convenient. It is very wicked of them to accuse these people like this. Even with the classified cover ups in the U.S., about several times a year the U.S. lawmakers' dirty secrets leak and their escapades in Brazil and elsewhere while on duty is on the news. If you want to ensure Nigerian leaders cooperate with U.S. laws while they visit the U.S., why not find an appropriate way to get that message across ethically, instead of wickedly tarnishing people's image. They just want people to undermine anything positive Nigerians try to do and to ruin their image. Insecurity complex at the highest level and in the highest positions. Shame on those who got together with Entistle to carry out this sabotage. Entistle himself nko, what does he not do?
Does any law in Nigeria or in America say soliciting for sex from a prostitute is a crime? Why all the noise about? Please, Mr Speaker do not waste government time and money to set up or probe any person. As long as the the said report did not indict them of RAPE. So let us channel our energy on more serious matters at the moment and not concern ourselves with useless probe that will not put food on the table of the masses
ReplyDeleteI want to suggest you start writing or indicating the bylines in your reports. This isn't the first time you report inaccuracies. Since when is Nsit ibiom and the others in Cross River state? Please don't come up with typographical error as both states have no similarities in spelling. That error alone makes me doubt you got all your information correct. Stop disgracing and embarrassing journalism!
ReplyDeleteCases of this magnitude in U.S is always backed up with pictures and video evidences. Why exception on this one. I suspect fowl play...the U.S are extremely very desperate and dangerous country. They know the time we are in Nigeria is very sensitive, yet they decided to complicate issues without proper investigation. ..
ReplyDelete