The lower lawmaking arm has stepped up investigations into the s*x scandal involving three of its lawmakers during an official visit to the United States of America.
United States’ Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle has been invited by the House of Representatives in continuation of the investigations into the reported s*x scandal involving three House of Representatives' members namely; Hon. Mohammed Garba Gololo (APC, Bauchi), Hon. Samuel Ikon (PDP, Akwa Ibom ) and Hon. Mark Gbillah (APC, Benue).
Mr. James Entwistle is scheduled to appear before the House of Representatives’ joint committee on ethics and privileges and foreign affairs on Thursday, July 14. The committee has been in charge on issues regarging the scandal since it surfaced.
The committee , which commences sitting on Thursday, two weeks after it was mandated to carry out the assignment, also invited the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC ) and the three lawmakers alleged to have engaged in sexual misconduct according to New Telegraph.
Chairman of the joint committee, Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai, who disclosed this at the weekend in Abuja, said the investigative hearing will be conducted in the open at Hearing Room 028 at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
Ossai had earlier hinted that the committee was working assiduously to put logistics in place for successful conduct of the exercise. He explained that the delay in the commencement of the investigation was due to the absence of some members of the committee , who were on lesser Hajj to Saudi Arabia.
He said: “For now , the ethics and privileges committee is working behind the scene to ensure that it conducts a successful investigation into the matter in line with the mandate given to it. ”
Recall that following allegations of sexual misconduct levelled against some members of the House by the United States Embassy in Nigeria, the leadership had, on June 16 , mandated the joint committee to investigate the veracity or otherwise of the allegations. While Ossai chairs the Ethics and Privileges Committee , Hon. Nnenna Elendu- Ukeje (PDP, Abia ) chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee.