Reps shifts hearing on sex scandal due to absence of Onyema, U.S envoy

The absence of the Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Geoffrey Onyema yesterday delayed the probe of three members of the House of Representatives allegedly involved in sexual misconduct in the United States of America (USA) recently.

Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle had accused the three lawmakers Messrs. Mohammed Gololo (APC-Bauchi), Samuel Ikon (PDP-Akwa Ibom) and Mark Gbillah (APC-Benue) of soliciting for sex from prostitutes during the International Visitor Leadership Programme in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. held between April 7 and April 13.

10 members of the lower legislative chamber attended the event

At the start of the investigative hearing organised by the joint House Committees on Ethics, Privilege and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ossai Nicholas Ossai disclosed that he had been informed by Onyema via a correspondence that he is attending the 29th ordinary session of the African Union in Kigali, Rwanda from 13th to 17th of this month.

Ossai said that the committee was left with no option but to shift the hearing to the July 20th to hear from Onyeama, who must have been briefed by the US Ambassador on what really transpired in the USA.

The lawmaker, who explained how the US envoy breached protocol by intimating Speaker Yakubu Dogara of the alleged misconduct of the lawmakers, however, hinted that the U.S envoy might be summoned to appear before the committee to testify on the issue notwithstanding the provisions of the Vienna convention on diplomatic matters.

Ossai’s position was however, different to the opinion of his colleague on the panel, the chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Ms. Nnenna Ukeje, who argued that the US envoy was immune from appearing before the panel in view of the provision of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic matters.