Ex-public officer gets 5-year jail term for employing his daughter

A Delta State High Court sitting in Ozoro has sentenced a former Education Secretary of Bomadi Local Government Education Authority, Mr Tom Kelekumor, to five years imprisonment for employing his daughter, Miss Preye Tom, into the service of the Local Government Education Authority.

Spokesperson for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa, revealed this in a statement on Friday.

The ICPC had accused Kelekumor of violating Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, by using his position to confer an unfair advantage upon his relation.

The offence is also punishable under the same section.

Justice Briki Okolosi then sentenced the accused to five years imprisonment.

The judge also ruled that the convict would serve his terms without any option of fine in accordance with the act.

In the one count, Kelekumor was charged with, the ICPC said that the convict gave employment to his daughter, who was then a Senior Secondary Two (SS2) student, into the local government service, knowing fully well that she was at the same time a full-time student.

Miss Tom was employed as a Messenger on Salary Grade Level 02 by her father in July 2003 while she was still a student of Tamigbe Grammar School, Toru-Tamigbe in Delta State.

The charge sheet read in part: “Abayomi Tom Kelekumor, while being a public officer to wit: Education Secretary in Bomadi Local Government Council of Delta State in the month of July, 2003 or thereabout did confer unfair advantage upon his daughter, Miss Tom Preye, when he employed her as a messenger on Grade Level 02 while she was still a student of Tamigbe Grammar School, Toru-Tamigbe, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.”