US sexual misconduct: Reps exonerate colleagues

The House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Privileges has exonerated its three members from allegations of sexual misconduct level against them by United States’ authorities.
The committee, which investigated the allegation, had in a report submitted to the House on Tuesday, said the lawmakers were exonerated from the accusation for want of evidence.
The former US Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, had alleged that Mohammed Gololo, Mark Gbillah and Samuel Ikom sexually assaulted some ladies in hotel in the US.
The ambassador had, in a petition to the House, alleged that the lawmakers, who attended a leadership programme in Cleveland, Ohio, sexually assaulted a house keeper and solicited sex from some girls.
But the Chairman of the House committee, Nicholas Ossai (PDP-Delta), while presenting the report, said the lawmakers were cleared for want of evidence.
Ossai said: “Representative Mohammed Gololo, Representative Mark Gbillah and Representative Samuel Ikom are cleared of and exonerated from the allegations levelled against them by the US Ambassador to Nigeria in his June 9, 2016 letter to Speaker, for want of evidence.
“In the light of the foregoing, the Minister of Foreign Affairs should engage the US Ambassador to Nigeria with a view to finding a seamless resolution of the domestic fallout of this unfortunate incident as it relates to the lawmakers.”
Ossai also urged the ministry to write and remind the US Embassy of the need to always adopt the official channel of communication in its dealing with any organ or institution of government.
The incident allegedly occurred in a hotel during the International Visitor Leadership Programme in Cleveland, Ohio, US held between April 7 and 13.
It was attended by 10 members of the lower chamber.