Maritime Nigeria

Main Menu

  • Home
  • News
  • Interviews
  • Maritime Info
  • Photo Gallery
  • Fact
  • Profiles

logo

Header Banner

Maritime Nigeria

  • Home
  • News
    • ISPS Implementation: NIMASA Shuts Non-Compliant Facilities

      Jul 17, 2025
      0
    • Nigeria Customs Renovate, Equip School To Boost Education

      Jul 17, 2025
      0
    • All set for AMJON 2025 Conference at Lagos Sheraton

      Jul 15, 2025
      0
    • AMJON Expresses Confidence, Hails CGC on WCO Leadership Role

      Jul 8, 2025
      0
    • "Nigeria Has Capacity to Build Ships"-DG NIMASA

      Jul 8, 2025
      0
    • Olomu Reenacts Zeal, Records Huge Revenue and Seizures

      Jul 4, 2025
      0
    • Compt Babatunde OLomu: Pragmatism, Innovation or Professionalism In Service?

      Jun 29, 2025
      0
    • PRESIDENT TINUBU CONGRATULATES CGC ON WCO Appointment

      Jun 29, 2025
      0
    • Maritime Stakeholders Excited By Ogbeifun's Appointment At NIMASA

      Jun 29, 2025
      0
  • Interviews
    • Nigeria Takes Leadership Of MOWCA

      Nov 18, 2021
      0
    • APM Participates in UK Trade Expo

      Oct 31, 2021
      0
    • Reps Seek Admission at MAN

      Dec 7, 2020
      0
    • NIMASA URGE SHIP OWNERS TO RENEW CABOTAGE LICENSES

      Oct 5, 2020
      0
    • FG Sacks Aboloma As NAIC Gets New EDs

      Aug 28, 2020
      0
    • Britain Celebrate Nigerian In Covid Efforts

      Jul 26, 2020
      0
    • Zuckerberg Backs Trump Against Twitter

      May 28, 2020
      0
    • NAFDAC DG Sheds Light On Chloroquine, Herbals, Masks and Covid19

      May 12, 2020
      0
    • Reps Threaten MDAs

      Feb 24, 2020
      0
  • Maritime Info
    • 2023 POP: Minister Task Cadets On Blue Economy

      Dec 15, 2023
      0
    • Rector, Trainees Excited, Laud FG On Modern Academy

      Jan 26, 2023
      0
    • Buhari Redeploys Minister As NPA, NIMASA, MAN, Others Get New Boards

      Apr 7, 2022
      0
    • World Bank Endorse Nigerian Ports, Partners Navy On Capacity Building

      Mar 19, 2022
      0
    • NIMASA Commend Nigerian Navy, Reassures On Floating Dock

      Feb 9, 2022
      0
    • MAN Unveils Lighthouse For Training of Cadets

      Jan 27, 2022
      0
    • shipping

      Singapore Strait Dangerous To Shipping-ReCAAP

      Jan 24, 2022
      0
    • Lekki Deep Sea Port Will Increase Port Efficiency-Amaechi

      Jan 24, 2022
      0
    • Fair Competition: NSC Partners FCCPC For Effectiveness

      Jan 21, 2022
      0
  • Photo Gallery
    • SERAP Calls for Probe of Entire Privatization Processes 1999-2011

      Dec 4, 2017
      0
    • IMO Election: South Africa, Kenya, Liberia, Morroco and Egypt Make Category C

      Dec 2, 2017
      0
    • Maersk Ship on Fire as Coy Launches Six Container Lifting Tech

      Nov 2, 2016
      0
    • Captured Seafarers Languish In Captivity without Ransom

      Nov 1, 2016
      0
    • Niger Delta: Militants Ask FG to Include Former Agitators in Negotiations

      Nov 1, 2016
      0
    • Self-Audit: NIMASA Set to Review 3% Freight Charge

      Nov 1, 2016
      0
    • Recession: Japanese Shipping Companies to Merge

      Oct 31, 2016
      0
    • NSC Partners ICS on Capacity Building

      Oct 31, 2016
      0
    • AGAIN, APAPA CUSTOMS SURPASS MONTHLY TARGET WITH N33B COLLECTION

      Oct 5, 2016
      0
  • Fact
    • Maritime Police Boss Celebrate Workers

      May 1, 2025
      0
    • “VIN Is A Trade Tool, Not Punitive”-Customs

      Mar 2, 2022
      0
    • Blackmailers, False Publishers and Their Agents: Court Clears Rector

      Feb 18, 2022
      0
    • MAN Unveils Lighthouse For Training of Cadets

      Jan 27, 2022
      0
    • "APM Terminals Is Beyond Moving Boxes Around"-Laursen

      Jan 24, 2022
      0
    • MWUN: Welfare, Safety Our Priority-Adeyanju

      Dec 27, 2021
      0
    • Reversing the Trend: Koko Breaks Record at NPA

      Dec 24, 2021
      0
    • Minister Demands More From MAN At Passing Out Parade

      Dec 20, 2021
      0
    • MARITIME NIGERIA TASK NIMASA ON MARITIME DEVELOPMENT

      Dec 15, 2021
      0
  • Profiles
    • CMA CGM Brings AI Onboard

      Jun 5, 2018
      0
    • Customs Notify 577 Officers of Retirement by Eguono Odjegba

      Jan 12, 2018
      0
    • Over 100 Persons Feared Dead in Mediterranean Ship Wreck

      Nov 3, 2016
      0
    • Ballast Water: Panama Signs Up

      Oct 24, 2016
      0
    • Ist Half Report: Customs generate N385.7bn revenue

      Aug 15, 2016
      0
    • Minister/MD Speeches at the Launch of NPA's CCCIS

      Jul 23, 2016
      0
    • Face off Imminent as Dakuku Warn IOCs to Sit Up or Stay ...

      Jul 22, 2016
      0
    • Hadiza, Welcome to NPA

      Jul 16, 2016
      0
    • Habib Abdullahi Sacked Again from NPA

      Jul 12, 2016
      0
  • ISPS Implementation: NIMASA Shuts Non-Compliant Facilities

  • Nigeria Customs Renovate, Equip School To Boost Education

  • All set for AMJON 2025 Conference at Lagos Sheraton

  • AMJON Expresses Confidence, Hails CGC on WCO Leadership Role

  • “Nigeria Has Capacity to Build Ships”-DG NIMASA

FeaturedNews
Home›Featured›Security Vote is not Free Money

Security Vote is not Free Money

By Editor
Nov 22, 2018
1876
0
Share:

Security Vote is not personal entitlement

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has said failure of public officers to give an account of security votes entrusted to them amounts to stealing or criminal misappropriation, adding that it is akin to genocide.

This formed part of the reasons the Court of Appeal on Friday affirmed the conviction of a former Governor of Taraba State, Jolly Nyame, whom the High Court of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory had earlier convicted and sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment on June 30, 2018.

The appellate court, in a decision by a different panel, equally affirmed the conviction of a former Governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye.

Justice Emmanuel Agim, who read the lead judgment of the three-man appellate court panel on Nyame’s appeal, noted that in Nigeria, there was a “pervasive tendency by public officers to regard or treat security votes given to them for security of the state as their personal entitlement or funds, this belief is completely wrong,” Justice Agim said.

He said any public officer in charge of such funds must either account for them or return them to the public coffers, saying the failure to do so would amount to stealing.

He said, “Every public officer or servant who receives government or public funds as security votes or however described for security or other public purposes must use the money for the purpose, or render an account showing that it has been used for such purpose or return the money to the government treasury if it has not been used.

“If the recipient of such funds cannot account for the use of such funds for the purpose it was meant and has not returned same to the government treasury, then that is clear stealing of public funds or criminal breach of trust or criminal misappropriation of funds.”

Justice Agim said the defence put forward by the defence lawyer suggested that Nyame “believed that as a governor, the security votes were his personal entitlement to be used as he pleased without any responsibility to explain how he used same and that since it is his entitlement, he cannot be said to have stolen same.”

“This belief is completely wrong,” the judge said.

On the diversion of money meant for the purchase of grains for the people of Taraba State, Justice Agim added, “The appellant, who recognised that the Taraba State people were faced with the threat of famine and that they were already suffering untold hardship due to lack of grains or escalating costs of grains, approved the release of the funds to purchase grains to distribute to Taraba people, but diverted the funds for his personal use and did not buy the grains, leaving the Taraba people in their untold hardship, waiting helplessly for the famine to come upon them.”

‘Corruption rampant among public officers, servants’

The appellant’s lawyer, Mr Ahmed Raji (SAN), had contended that the sentences imposed on Nyame by the trial court was excessive but the Court of Appeal disagreed.

 

“The nature of the crimes, the fact that they are routinely committed by public officers and servants throughout the country as a usual process of public administration, their impact on the community and people of Taraba State and the circumstances of the commission of the offences justify a deterring punishment,” Justice Agim noted.

‘Corruption is a crime in the class of genocide’

Justice Agim categorised corruption, due to its widespread impact, in the class of genocide, saying he saw no justification why offences like murder or armed robbery with less impact were being punished by death penalty and corruption was not.

“In view of the dangerous impact of the crime of public office corruption on  the state security and the generality of the people, it comes within the class of crimes against humanity like genocide, terrorism and large-scale violation of human rights.

“There is no justification for imposing capital punishment for serious crimes like murder, armed robbery with less widespread impact and punishing a more serious crime like public office corruption with more widespread impact in terms of imprisonment prescribed in Section 115, 119, 309 and 315 of the Penal Code Act.

“These cannot be sufficient deterrence.

“But the courts are bound by law not to exceed those terms of imprisonment.”

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)

Related

Previous Article

Pastor Goes to Prison

Next Article

Minimum Wage for Seafarers

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related articles More from author

  • News

    NIMASA Get New Director General

    Mar 13, 2024
    By Editor
  • News

    Nwabunike Calls For SMART Borders To Optimize AfCFTA

    Dec 18, 2023
    By Editor
  • FactNews

    Blackmailers, False Publishers and Their Agents: Court Clears Rector

    Feb 18, 2022
    By Editor
  • News

    SON TO DEVELOP STANDARDS FOR ANIMALS

    Aug 26, 2020
    By Editor
  • News

    Nigerian Navy Recsue Tanker by Amaka Ilabor

    Mar 15, 2018
    By Editor
  • News

    Red Sea Crisis: Seafarers Can Refuse To Sail-Group

    Feb 19, 2024
    By Editor

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

  • News

    SEA PORT REGULATION: NPA, CRFFN Harmonize Operations

  • FeaturedMaritime InfoNews

    NIMASA Resets For Cabotage Implementation

  • News

    Shippers Council Seek Synergy With Freight Agents

Looking For Something?

Read From

  • Agriculture
  • Customs Operations
  • Fact
  • Featured
  • Interviews
  • Maritime Info
  • News
  • One Question
  • Photo Gallery
  • Profiles
  • sports

Just In

News

ISPS Implementation: NIMASA Shuts Non-Compliant Facilities

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), in its role as the Designated Authority, DA, for implementing the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code in Nigeria, has ...
  • Nigeria Customs Renovate, Equip School To Boost Education

    By Editor
    Jul 17, 2025
  • All set for AMJON 2025 Conference at Lagos Sheraton

    By Editor
    Jul 15, 2025
  • AMJON Expresses Confidence, Hails CGC on WCO Leadership Role

    By Editor
    Jul 8, 2025
  • “Nigeria Has Capacity to Build Ships”-DG NIMASA

    By Editor
    Jul 8, 2025
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
© 2013 Maritime Nigeria | All Rights Reserved