![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-300x200.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
With just 36 days to inauguration of the ninth National Assembly, the issue of committees’ chairmanship distribution has dominated campaigns for the topmost positions in the Senate.
The three known contenders for Senate presidency are not leaving stones unturned to use the committee chairmanship issue to sway support in their favour.
A former Senate Majority Leader, Mohammed Ali Ndume, told newsmen that the matter of distribution of Senate committee is as important as the distribution of members of Federal Cabinet, which the Constitution has ruled upon.
Ndume said the Constitution and even the Senate Rules have provided that Committee Chairmen be appointed based on equality of States and the six geo-political zones. Order 3(4) of the Senate Standing Rule 2015 states: “The appointment of Senators as chairmen and members of committees shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the six geo-political zones of the country and there shall be no predominance of Senators from a few geo-political zones.”
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He insisted that anything short of this provision would be destructive to the unity of the Senate and that of Nigeria.
Presently, the 109-member Senate has a total of 69 committees.
It is also the Senate’s tradition that none of its Presiding and Principal officers should head any committee, aside from the Selection Committee, which is headed by the Senate President.
Also yesterday, it emerged that a group of All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators insisted on the candidature of Senator Danjuma Goje for the Presidency of the ninth Senate.
A source in the National Assembly, however, said talks were still being held among key stakeholders in the group called The Independent.
It was further learnt that the group draws support from both chambers of the National Assembly, with the intention of equally producing the next Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The camp of APC Senators campaigning for the incumbent Senate leader, Ahmed Lawan for the Presidency of the next Senate has begun moves to persuade APC leadership to change its decision on restriction of committee chairmanship positions to only APC Senators.
A member of the group, who is a re-elected Senator, also told newsmen that the hard decision, as announced by APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, a few weeks ago, has been posing a big obstacle to the Ahmed Lawan campaigns.
