By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

Since the allegation of rape news of the involving three members of the House of Representatives broke, there have been many questions on the lips of  many Nigerians  with no answers yet available.

Did the lawmakers actually overreach themselves during their trip to the United States (US)? Why should the US  Ambassador to Nigeria,  Mr. James Entwistle, rush to a conclusion without hearing from the  lawmakers? Should  the Ambassador  have come up with such a weighty allegation without  verification?

Even as the questions are yet to be answered, a school of thought with the ‘home grown’ mentality has questioned the allegation on the grounds that the lawmakers neither forcefully dragged the hotel house keeper, nor applied intimidation while soliciting for sex from prostitutes, while describing the  US Ambassador’s  letter to  the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, as mere blackmail, with the intention to rubbish the lawmakers  and also smear the image of Nigeria.

However, some people  argue that the calibre of people involved in the alleged misconduct are supposed to be versed in the laws of their host country and should know that some of the things that are  overlooked in Nigeria constitute serious offences there. Meanwhile, the House Speaker has asked Nigerian to wait for the outcome of investigation that will either prove the lawmakers innocent or guilty.

Dogara, according to statement  by his Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, urged Nigerians to refrain from passing judgement and wait for the outcome of the investigation by the House, saying: “Judgement can only be passed when an allegation is proven.”

He further explained that apart from the letter from the US Ambassador to Nigeria, no evidence had been forwarded to his office and that there can be no conviction without trial.

The three lawmakers occupy Committee leadership positions in the House. One of them, a former Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Samuel Okon Ikon, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is the Chairman, House Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Relations. Representative Mark Terseer Gbillah, a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, from Benue State, is the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream). The two  allegedly requested hotel parking attendants to assist them to solicit prostitutes. The third member, Mohammed Garba Gololo, who represents Gamawa Federal Constituency of Bauchi State on the platform of the APC, is the Deputy Chairman on Power and is being accused by the U.S. Ambassador of grabbing a housekeeper in his hotel room and solicited for sex.

The three lawmakers are among the ten members of the House of Representatives invited by the US government for the International Visitor Leadership Program held between April 7 and 13, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. Others are Jonathan Gbefwi Gaza from Nasarawa State, Danburam Abubakar Nuhu, from Kano State, Nkole Uko Ndukwe from Abia State, Rita Orji, from Lagis State and Ayo Huliyat Omidiran from Osun State.

Blowing the lid open, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Entwistle, had, penultimate  week, petitioned Dogara, accusing the  lawmakers of improper conduct, attempted rape and soliciting for prostitutes while on the trip to the US.

In a letter, dated June 9, 2016, the envoy alleged that three lawmakers had brought  disrepute to the parliament by soliciting for sex from prostitutes and grabbing a hotel housekeeper in an alleged  bid to rape.

However, the   lawmakers told the leadership of the House to convoke a public investigative hearing on the allegations against them.

Speaking on the floor of the House during plenary, one of the accused lawmakers, Gbillah, who represents Gwer East/Gwer West Federal Constituency of Benue State, said he had never cheated on his wife since he got married and never had an eye on any other woman apart from the wife.

Relying on House Order 6, Rule 20 and 22 that deals with privileges of members, the lawmakers stated that it was important that the matter should be specifically addressed, adding that the allegation was completely false.

Contributing to the motion, Nnenna Elendu Ukeje, said the issue had become a matter between Nigeria and the US which are two sovereign countries.

Ukeje, who represents Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, advised the Committees handling the matter to jeopardise the relationship between the two countries.

While referring the matter to the Committees on Ethics and Privileges and Foreign Affairs, the House Speaker said the matter is as a very serious one on which  many people had come to  the conclusion that the three lawmakers were wrong.

He said that anybody thinking that the matter was only about the three lawmakers  or the House alone  was wrong as, if not investigated well, could be extended to other Nigerians.

He said that going by the House Rule, any such allegation of impropriety was always referred to the Committee on Ethics, adding, “I have appointed the Committee on Foreign Affairs to join in the investigation because of the diplomatic angle to it.

“The standard in the US is that an accused is assumed innocent until proven guilty and that is the same standard in Nigeria. Any one who has evidence can now see the  probing committee.”

Meanwhile, a  reliable source informed Sunday Vanguard that the Committees were yet to meet because it was just four days ago they were able to get the Votes and Proceedings of the House that mandated them to carry out the assignment.

The source stated that because of the forthcoming Sallah, it had become difficult to get a sizeable number of members in the two committees as some members have gone to Mecca for the lesser hajj and also the House just proceeded on two weeks Sallah break.

However, the source assured that whenever investigations commence,it would be open to make the process transparent so as to unravel the truth behind the allegation.

In a related development, the US government, it was gathered, has revoked the visa granted to the three embattled lawmakers while revealing they could have been arrested before they left Cleveland, if not because of their status as members of Nigeria’s National Assembly.

The lawmakers have continued to defend themselves on the US allegation. Ghillah demanded a video clip of the alleged misconduct.

He said: “Considering the psychological trauma, irredeemable defamation of my character and reputation before my spouse, Children, family, colleagues, leadership, constituents and the general Nigerian and Global public  and the incalculable damage to my political career, I intend to take the following actions;

“Institute legal action in the United States against the Marriot Hotel Brand, the Cleveland Council of World Affairs  and the US State Department requesting for damages, comprehensive investigation of these allegations to exonerate myself and a formal  globally  publicized  apology.

“Institute legal action in Nigeria against the US Embassy in Nigeria also requesting  for damages, comprehensive investigation of these allegations and a formal  globally  publicized apology.

“Demand that the US Embassy and the US State Department (regardless of your revocation  of my US visa) allow me to travel to Cleveland  even  at my own expense to confront my accuser and confirm my innocence.  I otherwise have no desire to travel to a country that appears to pay only lip service to the ideals they claim to uphold.

“Demand for the full video/cctv footage covering  the period of  our entire stay at the hotel; this  should clearly  show the movements and activities of every member of the group throughout the hotel.”

Also reacting, Ikon said: “My attention has been drawn to the publication alleging an act of impropriety against me by the US mission in Nigeria.

“I wish to state unequivocally that this is false and definitely not me.

This to me, is a case of mistaken identity and I have already instituted measures both legally and diplomatically to clear my name and the institution I represent.  I call for patience and God’s abiding wisdom at this time.”

In his reaction, Gololo described the allegation as  false, unfounded and baseless, adding, “I categorically deny that any such incident happened. I never grabbed any housekeeper nor did I solicit for sex.”

While demanding for apology and retraction of the allegation against him from the U.S. Ambassador, he insisted that evidence against him on the allegation should be produced.

He said, “There is the example of Mr. Strauss, a  former Managing Director of the IMF, who was involved in similar allegation, but the evidence was clearly brought showing what he did in the hotel room; so, I demand video or any similar evidence of my alleged misbehaviour.

“Also, may I remind your Excellency, of the recent case in your country where the great wrestler Hulk Hogan was similarly accused and he went to court and got $140m in damages. Gawker had applied for bankruptcy because of the case.

“Lastly, I was in Paris (France), Barcelona (Spain) before that trip. And on that trip, I was in Washington D.C and New York. There was no allegation against me neither did I misbehave in any of those places, so why in Cleveland?”

Though, the Speaker has inaugurated the joint committee to investigate the allegation, it is yet not clear whether the members involved would still retain their Committee headships while investigation is ongoing.

But as it stands now, it is left for the U.S. authorities  to provide evidence of the culpability of the three lawmakers in the scandal as well as the lawmakers also to prove their innocence. But until the matter is settled, it has brought to question the integrity of the nation’s national legislative body.