APPEAL No, CA/A/658c/ 2018

DECISION

It is noteworthy that the notion that certain Public Funds meant to be used for the security of the State are not accounted for and therefore cannot to be stolen is not correct. Security votes being Government Funds to be used for the security of the State must be accounted for by the recipient . The recipient accounts for it by showing th at every bit of it was used for the purpose it was meant. In the face of the case of the prosecution that the appellant received such funds and diverted same to his personal use, it is no defence for the appellant to say that such funds are not accounted for, so cannot be stolen. Such a defence suggests that the appellant believed that as 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. ………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 a clear case of stealing of public funds. In our country, Nigeria , there is a pervasive proclivity of public officers to regard or treat Security Votes given to them for the security of the State as their personal entitlement or funds, the expenditure of which they are not accountable to the government that gave them the funds to be used for the public purpose or the citizens for whose security it was meant.

Read more at: https://dailytimes.ng/recipient-of-security-votes-must-account-for-it/

Front Page: Lalasticlala

In the face of the case of the prosecution that the appellant received such funds and diverted same to his personal use, it is no defence for the appellant to say that such funds are not accounted for, so cannot be stolen.

These guys are truly insane. They guy admitted he's a thief. This was a great ruling if state assemblies hold their governors accountable. Security votes were a catalyst for corruption since the state government didnt have to account for the cold hard cash they recieved.