Members
of the Green Chamber accused of s*xually harassing some ladies in
America last year have decided to sue to U.S government.
Three members of the House of Representatives exonerated of sexual
misconduct allegations levelled against them by the United States
Embassy in Nigeria have picked lawyers to handle their $1billion suit
against the US government according to the Punch.
The lawyers are to file the suit in the US, while the lawmakers
will continue to communicate with them through electronic means from
Nigeria, since they are barred for now from entering the US.
The affected members are House Deputy Chairman , Committee on
Petroleum Resources ( Upstream ); Mr . Terse Mark - Gbillah , elected on
the platform of the All Progressives Congress in Benue; Mr. Samuel Ikon
of the Peoples Democratic Party in Akwa Ibom ; and Mr . Mohammed Garba -
Gololo, also of the APC in Bauchi State.
A former US ambassador to Nigeria, Mr . James Entwistle , had
accused the three of sexual misconduct during a visit to the US last
year April , prompting the Nigerian legislature to call for an
investigation.
The House had exonerated the lawmakers in October 2016 after a
report by its Joint Committees on Ethics/Privileges and Foreign
Relations, found no wrongdoing on their part.
Mark -Gbillah , who spoke for the lawmakers, told a reporter that
the lawyers had been identified and that efforts were on to finalise
consultations on the suit.
He neither gave the names of the lawyers nor the firms from where
they would be hired. Mark -Gbillah also admitted that the lawmakers ’ US
visas revoked in the wake of the allegations had yet to be restored.
However, he stated that the members could still travel to the US in
the course of the hearing of the suit if a court order sought to have
them brought to the US physically.
Mark -Gbillah said , “We have identified lawyers willing to
take the case and are currently planning for the required funds to
initiate the action ( for damages. )
“ We will communicate with our lawyers via other media for now ,
but we can be granted entry by the court if we are required to appear
in person . We won ’t be willing to disclose the costs at this time.”
Earlier in October last year , the members had told a reporter that
they could ask for damages between $1bn and $10bn, depending on the
final recommendation of their lawyers.
Apart from the US Government , the lawmakers added that Entwistle,
the Marriot Hotel, the US Embassy and their agents would be sued for
damages, in addition to an “internationally - published apology. ”
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