Ex-AGF Adoke welcomes OPL 245 settlement, demands apology

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A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mohammed Bello Adoke has welcomed the Federal Government’s resolution of the long-running dispute over Oil Prospecting Licence 245.n

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He described the move as long overdue and vindicating the actions taken during the administration of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan.

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In a statement shared with PUNCH Online on Friday following the government’s announcement of a settlement with Eni and Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited, Adoke said he “wholeheartedly” welcomed the implementation of agreements that were reached years ago to resolve the controversial oil block dispute.

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“I wholeheartedly welcome the decision of the Federal Government of Nigeria to finally implement the OPL 245 Resolution Agreements nearly 15 years after the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan resolved the knotty disputes between the concerned parties and tried to set the oil-rich block on the path to productivity,” he said.

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Adoke also praised Tinubu for concluding the process, saying the decision demonstrated leadership and economic understanding.

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“I also commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR for finally resolving this thorny issue in the national interest and in the spirit of statesmanship. This is a testimony to the fact that he fully understands how the economy works and the importance of the oil-rich asset to the attainment of national economic goals,” he stated.

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The former minister, however, used the opportunity to criticise the administration of ex-president Muhammadu Buhari, accusing it of undermining earlier efforts to resolve the dispute.

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“This is a further indictment of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration who decided to scandalise and criminalise the hard work we did in the national interest to resolve the disputes caused by the unilateral revocation of the oil block by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2002,” he said.

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Adoke lamented that his role in resolving the dispute during the Jonathan administration led to years of public attacks and legal battles.

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“It is most unfortunate that I was subjected to humiliation and defamation home and abroad for the patriotic role I played as the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice in resolving the dispute to get this vital national asset working,” he said.

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According to him, the Nigerian economy might have benefited earlier if the previous administration had not revisited the issue.

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“If the Buhari administration and the trophy-hunting anti-corruption activists had not dragged the country backwards with their uninformed intervention, the Nigerian economy would have been far better off today,” he added.

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The former attorney-general said the latest development strengthened his call for an apology from the government.

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“I strongly believe that I deserve an unreserved apology from the Federal Government for the persecution and humiliation I was subjected for nine years and the scar I still bear in my body simply because I advised the Goodluck Jonathan administration to do the right thing on the oil block,” Adoke said.

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Despite the controversy surrounding the deal over the years, he said he had chosen to forgive those who criticised him.

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“Nevertheless, I forgive all those who connived to smear my name across the world. I take it as part of the burden of service to my fatherland. I remain steadfast and unshaken in my belief in Nigeria,” he added.

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The OPL 245 oil block, one of Nigeria’s most commercially promising offshore assets, has been at the centre of legal disputes and corruption allegations for years, involving international oil companies and multiple court cases across several jurisdictions.

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The Thursday settlement announced by Tinubu is expected to clear the path for fresh investment and the development of the deepwater field.n

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Earlier on March 3, the Federal Government has broken up the controversial OPL 245 oil block into four new assets to be operated by Eni and Shell, in a move that could finally unlock one of Nigeria’s largest untapped deepwater reserves after nearly three decades of legal and political disputes.n

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Recall that in 2022, Adoke expressed delight at the verdict of the Commercial Court of England which ruled out any fraud in the Oil Processing Licence 245 transaction between Nigeria and JP Morgan Chase Bank.n

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At the court, Nigeria lost $1.7bn case against bank for the its role in the transfer of dollars to a former petroleum minister convicted for corruption.

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