Mr. James Entwistle, the United States
Ambassador to Nigeria, has accused
some members of the House of
Representatives of improper conduct.
In a petition he wrote to Hon. Yakubu
Dogara, the Speaker, House of
Representatives, he alleged that three
members of the house – Hon.
Mohammed Garba Gololo (Bauchi,
APC), Hon. Mark Gbillah (Benue, APC)
and Hon. Samuel Ikon (Akwa Ibom,
PDP) requested for prostitutes and
attempted to rape a hotel
housekeeper.
Between April 7 and 13, 2016, ten
Nigerian lawmakers were invited by
the US government for the
International Visitor Leadership
Program, which took place in Ohio.
The US claimed that they received
misconduct reports from the
employees of the Cleveland hotel,
where the lawmakers were lodged.
“Mohammed Garba allegedly grabbed
a housekeeper in his hotel room and
solicited sex from her. Two others
[Mark Gbillah and Samuel Ikon],
allegedly requested hotel parking
attendants assist them to solicit
prostitutes,” Entwistle said.
The Ambassador claimed that “the U.S.
Mission took pains to confirm these
allegations and the identities of the
individuals with the employees of the
hotel in Cleveland,” and this incidence
may hamper the acceptance of
Nigerians for such programmes in the
future. While Entwistle has expressed
his displeasure with the negative
reaction of the lawmakers, the
accused reps have denied the
allegations.
Mark Gbillah has responded to the
Ambassador’s letter claiming that the
allegation is a calculated attempt to
tarnish their images. “This is an
affront on the National Assembly and
Nigeria, it appears they have ulterior
motives. We are not going to take this
lightly; we will take legal actions
against the US government. It is a
dent on our image,” Gbillah
said. Gbillah noted that the incidence
was brought to their notice about a
month after their trip, when he met
Entwistle at a dinner.
He further explained that there was a
basketball match going on around the
hotel area, and as such, many of the
spectators were lodged at the same
hotel; some of whom were Black. He
also questioned the basis of the
accusation. “It was after this
encounter that they called us to their
premises and said they were
identified by their accusers in a group
picture. This is curious. No video
footage. They didn’t accost us while
we were in the US. We suspect this is
a calculated attempt to rubbish the
National Assembly. Is this how they
would have investigated their
congressmen? Do they know that there
were other black people who came to
watch the match? How could they
have identified us in a picture without
our knowledge?”
Gololo also corroborated Gbillah’s
claim by stating that the hotel house
keeper may have pointed to the
wrong person, since they were all
Black. Who then should be believed?
Is this another example of racism in
America or could it be that the
Nigerian lawmakers are guilty and
only hiding behind their racial
identity?
Ambassador to Nigeria, has accused
some members of the House of
Representatives of improper conduct.
In a petition he wrote to Hon. Yakubu
Dogara, the Speaker, House of
Representatives, he alleged that three
members of the house – Hon.
Mohammed Garba Gololo (Bauchi,
APC), Hon. Mark Gbillah (Benue, APC)
and Hon. Samuel Ikon (Akwa Ibom,
PDP) requested for prostitutes and
attempted to rape a hotel
housekeeper.
Between April 7 and 13, 2016, ten
Nigerian lawmakers were invited by
the US government for the
International Visitor Leadership
Program, which took place in Ohio.
The US claimed that they received
misconduct reports from the
employees of the Cleveland hotel,
where the lawmakers were lodged.
“Mohammed Garba allegedly grabbed
a housekeeper in his hotel room and
solicited sex from her. Two others
[Mark Gbillah and Samuel Ikon],
allegedly requested hotel parking
attendants assist them to solicit
prostitutes,” Entwistle said.
The Ambassador claimed that “the U.S.
Mission took pains to confirm these
allegations and the identities of the
individuals with the employees of the
hotel in Cleveland,” and this incidence
may hamper the acceptance of
Nigerians for such programmes in the
future. While Entwistle has expressed
his displeasure with the negative
reaction of the lawmakers, the
accused reps have denied the
allegations.
Mark Gbillah has responded to the
Ambassador’s letter claiming that the
allegation is a calculated attempt to
tarnish their images. “This is an
affront on the National Assembly and
Nigeria, it appears they have ulterior
motives. We are not going to take this
lightly; we will take legal actions
against the US government. It is a
dent on our image,” Gbillah
said. Gbillah noted that the incidence
was brought to their notice about a
month after their trip, when he met
Entwistle at a dinner.
He further explained that there was a
basketball match going on around the
hotel area, and as such, many of the
spectators were lodged at the same
hotel; some of whom were Black. He
also questioned the basis of the
accusation. “It was after this
encounter that they called us to their
premises and said they were
identified by their accusers in a group
picture. This is curious. No video
footage. They didn’t accost us while
we were in the US. We suspect this is
a calculated attempt to rubbish the
National Assembly. Is this how they
would have investigated their
congressmen? Do they know that there
were other black people who came to
watch the match? How could they
have identified us in a picture without
our knowledge?”
Gololo also corroborated Gbillah’s
claim by stating that the hotel house
keeper may have pointed to the
wrong person, since they were all
Black. Who then should be believed?
Is this another example of racism in
America or could it be that the
Nigerian lawmakers are guilty and
only hiding behind their racial
identity?
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