AKURE- Chief Olu Falae, former Secretary to the Federal Government, today said the creation of Niger Delta ministry was an aberration. Falae told newsmen in Akure, that it undermined the constitutional powers of all the states that made up the Niger Delta.

‘’The creation of Niger Delta ministry is a reversal of denial of Federal principle which says that each state is supreme in its area of jurisdiction,’’ he said.

Falae, who also served as Minister of Finance during retired Gen. Ibrahim Babangida’s regime, said the use of force would not solve the problem, but could only aggravate it.

He said the only solution to the Niger Delta crisis is the adoption of fiscal Federalism and resource control by the people, who own the resources.

‘’This is the people’s war, the government cannot win the people’s war, except if the government wants to wipe out all the people of Niger Delta,’’ Falae said. The former minister of finance said government should hold consultation and dialogue with the people of Niger Delta on how to resolve the crisis, saying they are the owners of the resource.

He said apart from the usurpation of the states’ constitutional power by the Niger Delta ministry, the power of the people to control their resources would also be eroded by the ministry.

Falae said people of the region had been marginalised for long while on the other hand they were being confronted with the problem of environmental degradation.

He said these had formed the basis of their grievances which the government ought to look into.