A joint recommendation of the committees of ethics/privileges and foreign affairs of the house of representatives has cleared three lawmakers accused of sexual misconduct by the United States.
After investigation, the committees recommended:
“That Hon. Mohammed Garba Gololo, Hon. Mark Terseer Gbillah and Hon. Samuel Ikon are cleared of and exonerated from the allegations levelled against them by the United States Ambassador to Nigeria in his June 9, 2016 letter to the Rt. Hon. Speaker, for want of evidence.
“That in the light of the foregoing, the Hon Minister of Foreign Affairs does engage with the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, with a view to finding a seamless resolution of the domestic fallout of this unfortunate incident as it relates to Hon. Mohammed Garba Gololo, Hon. Mark Terseer Gbillah and Hon. Samuel Ikon;
“That the Ministry of Foreign affairs does write to remind the United States Embassy of the need to always adopt the official channel of communications in its dealings with any organ or institution of government.”
The house approved of the recommendations after it was put to a voice vote Yusuf Lasun, deputy speaker.
James Entwistle, the then American ambassador to Nigeria, had written to the house in June, accusing Ikon, Gololo and Gbillah of seeking the services of sex workers while they were attending a leadership programme in Cleveland, Ohio, in the US.
The three lawmakers denied the allegation, while the house set up a panel to probe the matter.
However, Entwistle, who had earlier claimed to be in possession of video evidence of his allegations, failed to appear in the House, to give evidence to the panel on two occassions.
