The House of Reps Sex Scandal: U.S Government as Accuser and Judge -By Kally Albert

Kallys Albert Sr

I hope the Premium Times will find space to publish this rejoinder to its prominent story “Sex Scandal: U.S accuses Nigerian lawmakers of attempted rape, soliciting prostitutes”. The publication reports the US Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, as writing the Speaker of the House of Representatives that, “We received troubling allegations regarding the behaviour of three members of the delegation to the US Government’s flagship professional exchange program. The US Department of State and the Cleveland Council on World Affairs received reports from employees of the Cleveland hotel, where the representatives stayed, alleging that the representatives engaged in the following behaviour:

“Mohammed Garba Gololo allegedly grabbed a housekeeper in his hotel room and solicited her 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 that hotel parking attendants assist them to solicit prostitutes.”

According to the story, Mr. Dogara “directed the investigation of three members of the House for an alleged sex scandal.” But what’s the purpose and what will it achieve? Isn’t the exercise medicine after death? What Nigerians do not know is the salient truth about the American social justice system: A system that condemns you before you are found guilty. A system that is so manipulated and distorted that truth stands on its face relative to the “who” is involved, created along racial and nationality lines. A system that does not respect other cultures, nationalities, and/or races, but prides itself as the world’s bully, the world’s judge and the global law enforcement officer not accountable to any institution other than itself. A country where the truth and merits of most cases and allegations can never be known, and they remain unsolved mysteries for generations to come. A system in which an issue has only one side, inherently perceived through racial bias.

Procedural Impropriety and American Bias

In the American society where we live, the travails of due process denials daily, finding the truth and reaching the merits of an allegation or claim, is nothing but a metaphor. Reaching conclusory decisions appear normative. Lying and misrepresentations on even sworn affidavits – and basing decisions on these seem normal and acceptable; and attempting to undo their dent can be an arduous task. It is all about power. In the present case, as in my experiential knowledge, this allegation with its dramatic one-sided evidentiary conclusory decision was reached and/or taken, visas were cancelled, with no apparent input from the accused. There is no reference that these gentlemen were ever questioned or interviewed. There is no reference that the Nigerian Embassy in the United States was ever consulted, or that it issued any report on the allegations. There was no reference to the role the Nigerian Embassy played in the whole saga. So, what is the purpose of our national embassies/consulates? What is the purpose of diplomatic relations? Does the United States have to air its own version of the whole story before the accused were given a chance to answer to the allegations? On whose evidence was the decisions to cancel visas based, and how will Dogara’s investigation remove the stigma on these members of the House of Representatives? When such decision are taken based on serious allegations that the accused are not given chances to dispute, it boils down to the notorious American racial bias. Diplomatic procedural safeguards require proper investigation of the alleged sex scandal following a formal “complaint.” It requires that Nigerian government be given the opportunity to make input into the whole show of shame before the apparent bad-faith media publications.

Nigerian House of Representatives Should Not Waste Its Time and Money On Investigation

How can the leadership of the House proceed with an investigation on an issue that has been adjudged and determined by the U.S. government and the media? Given the diplomatic nature of the issue, it is obvious that investigation will be hindered. Neither the Ambassador, representatives of the U.S. officials involved nor the employees and management of the hotel would be interrogated on this issue given its diplomatic nature. More importantly, because no more meaningful connections were made in the story before the onerous publication and decision of American government to cancel the members’ visas, any attempt by the House members to “investigate” appears a futile exercise. No responsible entity dabbles into an investigation on a mere receipt of “allegations” preceded by prejudicial decision where whatever transpired remains a mystery, before the House members had the opportunity to defend themselves; and before the whole world was already thrilled on the conclusory determination and its consequences. Again, my question is: How will Dogara’s investigation counter the adverse effects the accused have suffered? Even if these men committed the offence alleged, due process and proper procedural safeguards demand that the U.S. government accord its ally, the Nigerian government, the due respect of investigative input before the media fury.

The Naivety of Most Nigerians and their Leaders

Will the Nigerian government and citizens ever recognise it each time the U.S government slights it? Will Nigeria ever be bold enough to challenge the U.S’ disproportionate treatments it metes out to it and its citizens? It beats one’s imagination to understand how the Nigerian psyche works. Here, Nigeria is confronted with a serious issue of national importance – disgrace – not just that of the accused members but of the entire country; yet the House members jumped into the frenzy of what seems a useless exercise at investigation. And to bring this naivety to perspective, it is claimed that one Namdas, the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs evaded questions on “how the investigation would be conducted.” Hear him: “When we say we will conduct an investigation, we will conduct it and there will be a report.” Sounds like begging the question. What report will you come up with in the face of the degradation? How will the House report un-change the inglorious procedural impropriety characterising the whole episode? These House members were in the U.S, not as private citizens, but as official representatives on the US International Visitor Leadership Program on good governance. Diplomatic Respect and reciprocity entails that the U.S. should have accorded Nigeria the requisite procedural safeguards – making their report/allegations to the Nigerian Embassy and perhaps to the House of Representatives, and allowing the House time to investigate and make report before going wild in the media. It all encompasses the disdain, disregard and disrespect the U.S. has for other nationalities and their governments. Does the U.S. government and agencies have to be the accuser and the judge on all issues?

Nigerian Government Should Reciprocate the U.S. Action With Similar Consequence

Nigeria should react to this slap on its face. The disgrace and disrespect has nothing to do with the three members. It has to do with how the U.S. must treat Nigeria on social and political and diplomatic equality. I sympathise with Gbillah. Writing the US Embassy after the bizarre manner it handled the issue was to say the least dropping sand in the middle of the ocean. We live and relive this experience daily here in the United States and elsewhere. While I do not hold brief for the three accused members, my point is that given the way the matter was handled, the truth can never be found. It has been buried in the annals of unsolved mysteries.

Sex Work and Solicitation of Prostitutes Is As Old As Creation

Once in a while, female hotel workers in America and elsewhere pander this types of allegations, some real and some with remote intentions; this is not new, nor will it be the last of its kind. In earnest though, it is common knowledge the world over that politicians, tourists and most sojourners find relief or perceived relief wherever they travel to, soliciting prostitutes, female and male. It is only soured transactions that leads to fuss stories similar to the one at hand. Prostitute solicitation and sex work as old as it is remains a significant component of every societal life. In an article “The Global Woman” both Barbara Ehrenreich and Russell Hochschild identified this lifestyle as part of the current globalisation process. The issue should not be whether the Nigerian House members did or did not engaged in the alleged behaviour, but whether the United States government and its agents handled the issue in an acceptable manner. To me, its: No, they did not.

My sympathy extends as well to how and where Mr. Gbillah can bring his legal action and against who? If there is anything as Due Process, for sure, Mr. Gbillah and his co-accused have the right to seek redress for this violation on such a serious allegation, indictment without procedural safeguards and the evident perpetual stigma on them that perpetually follows this.

Kallys Albert is with the Nigerian Citizens for Good Governance Community Organising and Education Mission. Follow me on Twitter: @kallysalbertsr