Again, Foreign Affairs Minister, US Ambassador shun House Committee

The two were supposed to face the committee on Wednesday, July 20, but did not show up, making it the second summon they would fail to honour.

In his defense, the Minister explained in a letter written to the Committee that the time for the investigative hearing coincided with the Federal Executive Council meeting in the Presidential Villa.

Onyeama had also excused last week in another letter, saying he was travelling to Kigali, Rwanda, for the extra ordinary meeting of the African Union and asked for another date, which forced the Committee to fix Wednesday (yesterday) for the hearing.

However, the Committee heard from the three accused lawmakers, who denied the allegations of sexual misconduct against them.

Onyeama is said to be expected to appear before the Committee on Thursday (today) as the hearing resumes.

The House Committee Chairman on Capital Market, Rep. Yusuf Tajudeen, had challenged the U.S Embassy to come forward with proof that the accused lawmakers were indeed engaged in solicitation for sex while in the US on official assignment.

But the US ambassador, who claims to have video evidenceto back the allegations against the lawmakers, has failed to show up before the Committee.

ALSO READ: US cancels visas of 3 House of Reps members over alleged sex misconduct

Two All Progressive Congress (APC) lawmakers, Mohammed Gololo and Mark Gbillah, and one Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker, Samuel Okon, were alleged to have solicited for sex and sexually harassed a hotel housekeeper in Cleveland, Ohio.