US revoke visas of Nigerian Lawmakers over Sexual Misconduct Allegations

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Yesterday it was reported that some serious allegations had been levelled against three Nigerian lawmakers.

Three Nigerian lawmakers were accused of sexual misconduct while on a trip to America and as a result their visas have now been revoked by the American Embassy.

One of the accused lawmakers, Hon. Mark Gbillah, said they had received correspondence from the US Embassy on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 in which it was stated that their US visas had been denied and also requesting that they bring their international passports with current US visas to the Embassy.

According to the Newtelegraphonline, the three how of Reps members affected are; Hon. Mohammed Garba Gololo (APC, Bauchi), Hon. Samuel Ikon (PDP, Akwa Ibom) and Hon. Mark Gbillah (APC, Benue).

The US embassy alleged that “Mohammed Garba Gololo allegedly grabbed a housekeeper in his hotel room and solicited for sex. While the housekeeper reported this to her management, this incident could have involved local law enforcement and resulted in legal consequences for Representative Gololo. “Mark Terseer Gbillah and Samuel Ikon allegedly requested hotel parking attendants assist them to solicit for prostitutes.”

On their part, the house of reps has through its chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Abdulrazaq Namdas, confirmed that they are investigating the allegations.

Namdas said, “Ten of our members went to Cleveland, Ohio, US to participate in an International Visitor Leadership Programme on good governance in April. However, we are in receipt of a letter from the Ambassador of US where he alleged that some of the members were involved in misconduct.

“As a responsible parliament, the leadership has received this letter and is doing its own investigation. When investigations are concluded, we will brief you further.”

Meanwhile, two of the affected lawmakers have fought back writing to the American ambassador. Gbillah has in a letter threatened to institute legal action against the American government. Gbillah was said to have allegedly asked hotel attendants to help them procure prostitutes.

In his letter, Gbillah said,  “In your letter, you claimed that I was identified as one of the members of the aforementioned group who asked for the assistance of a hotel parking attendant to solicit for prostitutes at the Residence Inn Downtown Cleveland Ohio.

I am extremely shocked, upset, irked and embarrassed by your letter and want to categorically state that these allegations are completely false, unfounded, malicious and a calculated attempt to malign and cast aspersion on my reputation and character as a Nigerian citizen and honourable member of the House of Representatives and to bring disrepute to the hallowed institution of the National Assembly and the entire nation of Nigeria.”

Gbillah noted that: “I have visited the US and several countries in the world countless times over the last several years and have stayed at countless hotels all over the world and want to dare the US government to find any instance where I have previously solicited for prostitutes from a hotel employee even when I was not a married man. “…I am a member of  two of the rewards programmes of the parent hotel brand of the Residence Inn (Marriott Rewards and Ritz Carlton Rewards) and the record of my previous stays at all the hotel brands can be obtained to ascertain whether or not I have ever solicited for prostitutes from any hotel employee.

“Although it is very easy to obtain the previous travel history and track record of accused members, it is obvious the US State Department and the US Embassy have presumed our guilt without proper investigation because of the disdain and disrespect they have towards the average Nigerian citizen, even when such citizens are members of the Nigerian House of Representatives, a treatment they will never mete out to an ordinary American citizen who is not even a member of the US Congress.

“A member of our group made a formal complaint to the organisers of the programme about his being defrauded to the tune of about $100 at the Renaissance Hotel Dupont Circle Washington DC, but neither the US State Department nor the US Embassy in Nigeria has deemed it fit to take any action or initiate any investigation in this regard.”

 

Gbillah also threatened legal action stating  “I will institute legal action in Nigeria against the US Embassy in Nigeria requesting for damages, comprehensive investigation of these allegations and a formal globally publicised apology. “I 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.

“Also, I 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, Gololo, who was alleged to have grabbed a housekeeper, in his letter to the ambassador, which was copied to the speaker, warned the US Ambassador of the consequences of his petition. He said: “There is the example of Mr. Strauss, the former Managing Director of the IMF, who was involved in similar allegations, 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.”

His colleague, Gololo also threatened to sue in a letter, writing “May I remind your excellency of the recent case in your country where the great wrestler, Hulk Hogan, was similarly falsely accused and he went to court and got $140 million in damages. Gawker has applied for bankruptcy because of the case.” In his reaction, Ikon, who was also accused of soliciting for prostitutes, said in a short message that: “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.”

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