Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, has expressed strong support for the Federal Government’s recent move to settle the long-standing dispute over Oil Prospecting Licence 245.
Describing the decision as long overdue, Adoke said it vindicated the measures taken during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to address the contentious oil block issue.
In a statement released on Friday following the government’s confirmation of a settlement with Eni and Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited, Adoke affirmed his full backing for implementing agreements that had been reached years ago.
“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.
He also praised President Bola Tinubu for bringing the matter to a close, highlighting the leadership qualities and economic foresight reflected in the decision.
“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,” Adoke stated.
However, he criticised the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, accusing it of hindering earlier efforts to resolve the dispute.
“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.
Adoke reflected on the personal challenges he faced while helping to settle the matter under the Jonathan administration, noting years of legal battles and public criticism.
“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.
He also argued that Nigeria’s economy could have reaped benefits much earlier if not for the previous administration’s actions.
“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.
The former justice minister stressed that the settlement reinforced his call for an official apology from the government.
“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.
Despite the long-running controversy, he said he had forgiven those who attacked him over the issue.
“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.
In 2022, the Commercial Court of England ruled that there was no evidence of fraud in the OPL 245 transaction involving Nigeria and JP Morgan Chase Bank.
The settlement announced on Thursday by President Tinubu is expected to open the door for renewed investment and the development of the deepwater field.
