The attempt by Ministry of Police Affairs to get 0.5 per cent of Federation Account revenue as Police Trust Fund (PTF) has met stiff resistance from Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC.

The request was made through a letter written to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed by the Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammad Dingyadi with reference to the establishment of Police Trust Fund sources of funding to include 0.5% of the total Revenue accruing to the federation account and 0.005% of the net profit of companies operating businesses in Nigeria.

A copy of the letter sent to the Chairman of the RMAFC, Elias Mbam, made reference to the Nigeria Police Trust Fund establishment Act 2019, which listed its sources of funding to include 0.5 per cent of the total revenue accruing to the Federation Account.

A statement by the RMAFC Head of Public Relations, Christian Nwachukwu on Wednesday said the minister’s letter also listed “Any takeoff grant, special intervention fund as may be provided by the federal, state and Local Government of the Federation.

Nwachukwu also said other listed sources included monies as may be appropriated to meet the objectives of the Act by the National Assembly in the federal budget, aids, grant, and assistance from international bilateral and multinational agencies, non-governmental organisations and private sectors.

According to the statement, Dingyadi also requested that finance minister should give directive for –the deductions of the monthly share of the Police Trust Fund in the Federation Account into a dedicated account as from January 2020.

In his response, the Chairman of RMAFC, Engineer Elias Mbam said the sources of the Trust Fund which shall consist of the amount consisting 0.5% of the total revenue accruing to the federation Account is inconsistent with the provision of S.162(3) of the 1999 constitution as amended.

According to him, “the S.4 (1) (a) of the Nigerian Police Trust Fund (Establishment) Act 2019 is inconsistent with the provision of the constitution cited above. Any law that is inconsistent with the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that law shall be null and void to the extent of its inconsistency”.

Mbam made reference the Supreme Court ruling where the Apex court put to rest, the proper mode of distribution of funds according to Federation Account in A –G of the federation Vs A.G of Abia State (NO . 2)(2002)6 NWLR, Pt. 764. 542, when it declared as unconstitutional, null and void, the funding of the judiciary as a first line charge on the Federation Account.

The Chairman also listed other sources of funding to include servicing of external debt as a first line charge on the Federation Account; funding of joint Venture contracts and NNPC priority project as a first line charge on the Federation Account; Unilateral allocation of 1% of revenue in the Federation Account to the Federal Capital Territory.

He said, “That the only beneficiaries to the federation account are the Federal Government, State Governments and Local Government Councils in each state as provided in S. 162(3) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.