Reps clear 3 lawmakers accused of sexual misconduct

The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, cleared three of its members accused of committing sexual misconduct while on an official visit to Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States(US), for the International Visitor Leadership Programme on good governance, which was held between April 7 and 13, 2016. The clearance was sequel to the consideration of the report of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges and Foreign Affairs on the allegations of sexual misconduct against Honourable Mark Terseer Gbillah, Honourable Mohammed Garba Gololo and Honourable Samuel Ikon by the (former) United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James F. Entwistle.

The House, during consideration of the report of its committees on ethics and privileges and foreign affairs,at the committee of the whole, dismissed the allegation against the trio.

The chairman of the House Committee on Ethics,  Honourable Ossai Nicholas Ossai, who moved for the consideration, claimed that the committee did a thorough job.

To this end, the House at the committee of the whole approved the recommendation of the committees that “Honourable Mohammed Garba Gololo, Honourable Mark Terseer Gbillah and Honourable 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 Speaker, for want of evidence.

Another recommendation of the committee approved by the House had it that, “in the light of the foregoing, the  Minister of Foreign Affairs do 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 Honourable Mohammed Garba Gololo, Honourable Mark Terseer Gbillah and Honourable Samuel Ikon.

The House also approved the recommendation that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should 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.