BY Chidi Obineche

PENULTIMATE week, the United States of America, USA Ambassador to Nigeria, James F Entwistle wrote to Yakubu Doga­ra, Speaker of the House of Representatives alleging that Samuel Ikon, (Akwa Ibom), Mohammed Gololo( Bauchi) and Mark Gbillah( Benue) engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior while attending the Leader­ship Visitor Programme in the USA in April this year.

He said Gololo grabbed a Housekeeper in his hotel room and solicited for sex, while the other two asked a car park attendant to assist in procuring the services of prosti­tutes. The Lawmakers have since denied the allegation, while Dogara requested for more evidence, even as he set up a committee to investigate it.

The Visa of the lawmakers had since been cancelled by the US authorities. Barring the huge interest the scandal has generated, new evidence suggests that the 10 lawmakers on the trip were interrogated before they re­turned to Nigeria in April. Those who were interrogated included the deputy chairman of the House Committee on Media and Pub­lic affairs, Jonathan Gaza Gbewfi; chairman of the committee on Diaspora Affairs, Rita Orji, Ayo Omidiran, Nkole Ndukwe and Damburam Abubakar. Sunday Sun learnt that the claim by the affected lawmakers that they only learnt about the allegation on their return to Nigeria is false.

It was further learnt that the US State De­partment is in possession of more than just verbal evidence against the three men. Ikon, who said he almost could not make the trip because of a crippling Malaria/ Typhoid ail­ment, added in a tint of melodrama that, apart from being an elder in his church for over a decade, he does not have the physical strength for sex.

Ikon has also promised to make the evidence available, and wondered why the US govern­ment did not give him fair hearing before con­cluding that he was involved in the sex scandal. His colleague, Gbillah, while also denying said “ For my colleagues who don’t know me and Nigerians out there, I want to categorically state here, for any avoidance of doubt that no such incident occurred. I want my colleagues and the nation to understand that though we are in the eye of the storm, we shall carry this cross, and courageously too.”

He continues: “ I only have eyes for my wife. I have never cheated on her. I wish she were in this chamber to testify to this. I went on this trip with my wife, and my baby. I travel everywhere I go with my wife and baby”. Amidst the row generated by the sex scandal, many Nigerians and groups have called for proper investigation of the incident and if they are found culpable, they should be punished. In its own reaction, a Non- Governmental Organization, the Center for Children’s’ Health Education, Orientation and Protection, CEE- HOPE urged the govern­ment to take the allegations seriously and not sweep it under the carpet. In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Betty Abbah, the group described the alleged acts of the lawmak­ers as an international embarrassment. “These allegations cast a very dark cloud of moral bankruptcy, not only on the three fingered law­makers, not only on the National Assembly, but also on our national integrity.

“Why should supposed role models, who should represent us in the ideally hallowed chamber, be cast in the moulds of touts lack­ing in sexual discipline? What examples are they showing to the younger generation?” , the group queried. The president of Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Mr Malachy Ugwumadu , described the scandal “ as one too many”. Another Lawyer and rights activist, Mr Jiti Ogunye dismissed the threat of legal action by the errant legislators. “ The allegation of at­tempt of moral dalliance and consummation of prostitution in the US leveled against the mem­bers of the House of Representatives is very disturbing.

“Our legislators are globally notorious for earning more than they deserve paradoxically, in a country where the people are living in largely below the poverty line.” The National Publicity Secretary of the Pan Yoruba Socio-cultural group, Afenifere Yinka Odumakin urged the House to suspend the lawmakers to serve as a deterrent to those of them who can­not “ Zip up”. In the same vein, the Presidential candidate of the United Nigeria Party, UPP, Chief Chekwas Okorie expressed dismay at the development, adding that “their action is a dis­service to the country”.

He said: “ I hope it is not true. When a law­maker or government official for that matter travels out of the country, he is like an Ambas­sador of the country, and any deed or misdeed from him counts. They may not see it as a hei­nous crime here, but out there, their perception of what constitutes a sex offence is different from ours. This is why our people should tread cautiously when abroad.” Okorie who was the founder of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, called for a thorough investigation of the case, insisting that how it is handled will go a long way in laundering the battered image of the country. A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress , and pioneer chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Lagos, chief Olo­runfunmi Bashorun also expressed disappoint­ment over the allegation against the lawmakers. In his view, “ As honourable members, the least the people expect from them is good conduct and decorum, especially when they are outside the shores of the country. The carry the burden, hopes and expectations of the people they rep­resent wherever they go, and getting embroiled in embarrassing situations is unnecessary, avoidable and sad.” He urged the authorities to involve relevant security agencies to probe and unearth the truth of the matter, and if found guity, they should be punished. The constitu­ents of the lawmakers ,according to him should be sensitized to launch a recall process, if they are found guilty.

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Sex drive

Sex, like eros, from which it draws its pro­found psychological and spiritual power, is di­amonic: it reminds us of our intrinsic capacity to be involuntarily taken over, to be possessed; to surrender control. This capacity to experi­ence the diamonic quality of sex or eros is an essential and centering part of being human. It reminds us that we are first, and foremost, as Sigmund Freud pointed out, passionate crea­tures, motivated and driven by primitive, irra­tional forces operating just below the surface of civilization and rationality far more powerful than our puny little egos. It is a constant re­minder of our irrationality; of our inescapable physical embodiment. It is humbling to our spiritual hubris. And it is dangerous. At some deeper level , sexuality is intimately linked with mortality; with birth and death. This close psychological connection between sex and death can also be found reflected in the French reference to sexual orgasm and it’s immedi­ate aftermath as la petit mort, the little death. Sexuality is inherently different for men and women. Most men tend to see sex as some­thing they can never get enough of, and seek, at some primal level, to disseminate their seed as widely as possible. Most women see sex as secondary in importance to intimacy, physi­cal closeness, and commitment. In Victorian Vienna, there was widespread repression and dissociation of sexual feelings, and impulses, which as Freud discovered resulted in neurotic symptoms. The world is now far more sexu­ally liberated, having been through the “sexual revolution” during the mid twentieth century. Yet, sexual problems like compulsive promis­cuity, sex addiction, sexual perversions, sexual sadism, or masochism disorders have been with us in our post Freudian sexual liberation, and have raked in incalculable damage. Sexting is the art of sending sexually explicit messages via text. Over time, it has like its triplets in sex and sexuality claimed its own victims. Indeed, a high school female teacher in the Woodhav­en- Brownstown school district, of America had to resign on june 10, 2016, amid charges that she had sexted with two students and inap­propriately touched one of them.

Sex Scandals in Nigeria

Sex scandals are often common in churches, Colleges and universities, corporate organiza­tions, military and para- military formations and nondescript places like Nollywood, and football clubs. In one of the celebrated cases, the founder and General overseer of the Em­bassy of Blessed kingdom of God for All Na­tions Pastor Sunday Adelaja was accused of having sex with female members. He was said to have had affairs with no fewer than 20 wom­en in his church. The pastor was said to have confessed publicly and repented. According to one Apostle Toff Ulissis, a clergyman said to be providing spiritual care for him, Adelaja was urged to, “seek psychiatric help”.

When sex scandals hit Kenyan parliament

In kenya, at least 10 members of parlia­ment have been alleged to have sexually as­saulted women. In one incident, the accused was forced to marry his accuser. Kiambu Sena­tor Kimani Wamatangi was in May last year accused of rape. According to the woman’s sworn affidavit at Nairobi Children’s Court, the incident occurred while she was working as a house help for the senator and she was impregnated in the process. There was also the case involving the Imenti Central MP, Gideon Mwiti, who was in March last year accused of rape. A woman alleged that the MP lured her to his office to discuss some public relations busi­ness deal before raping her. According to the woman, Mwiti postponed their meeting at his office in Westlands, Nairobi until 10pm. The woman, who is married, claimed she was then subjected to an involuntary HIV test before she was beaten and raped. The matter is still under investigation, even as the MP has denied it, and even offered to help with the investigations.

Worst sex offenders in history.

What constitutes a sex crime differs by cul­ture and legal jurisdiction. Most of the time, what comes to mind when one thinks of sexual predators are men. A female elementary school teacher, Jenniffer Rice, became fixated on one 11 year old pupil, and eventually had illicit sex with him after kidnapping him. She was sen­tenced to 25 years in jail. There was also the case of Sarah Hopkins who bagged 12 years in prison for sexting, rape and sodomy of a neigh­bour’s child over a period of 8 months. One of the most frightening women sex offenders was Ashley Jessup. She was sentenced to life in prison on the charge of two accounts of rap­ing a child under 13 years of age, of endanger­ing children, and pandering sexually – oriented matter involving a minor. Jessup had created a sex tape of her performing oral sex on her 10 month old son and fondling his genitals on her boyfriend’s request. Her boyfriend and she en­joyed exchanging sexually explicit images and video through emails and he wanted one of her with her son.

Understanding the sexual behaviours of homo sapiens is complex, and evolutionary, according to psychologists. The days ahead will show if the lawmakers are innocent or guilty as charged.