Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja 
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) , Governors’ Forum has kicked against the deduction of 0.5 per cent of the total revenue accruing to the federation account as part of funding for the Nigeria Police Trust Fund. 
The Forum implored President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to repeal Section  Section 4(1) of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (Establishment) Act, 2019 which authorised the deduction, as it is unconstitutional. 
The chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, in a communique , on Wednesday, said this was part of resolutions reached by the opposition governors after a zoom meeting. 
According to Tambuwal,  the governors also expressed concern over the controversies trailing the National Water Resources Bill,  which was withdrawn by the House of Representatives,  recently for re-gazetting. 
The communiqué  reads in part: “The meeting noted the signing of the New Nigeria Police Act, 2020 by Mr. President, Commander in Chief. 
“While acknowledging the many important innovations in the new law, the Forum emphasised the need to make the Nigeria Police Council, which has Mr President as Chairman and 36 state Governors as members, fully operational and the clearing house on all issues bordering on the organisation and administration of the Nigeria Police Force as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution. 
“The Forum further observed the discrepancies in S.12(2) and S.12(4) of the Act on the appropriate authority with responsibility to deploy Police Commissioners to the respective States. “Whereas S.12(2) gives the responsibility to the Police Service Commission, S. 12(4) gives either the Police Service Commission or Inspector-General of Police the same responsibility. 
“This is even more regrettable as the Constitution gives this responsibility to the Police Service Commission (S. 215)(1)(b).  We advise that the constitutional provision be upheld.”

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