A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, SAN, has demanded an apology from the Federal Government following the FG’s resolution of the agelong dispute surrounding Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 245.
The senior advocate, who served as AGF under former President Goodluck Jonathan, said this in a statement obtained by Nairametrics on Friday.
He said he deserved an apology for being allegedly subjected to humiliation and defamation at home and abroad for his role in resolving the dispute while serving as the AGF.
What the ex-AGF is saying
Adoke claimed that the development is an indictment of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
- “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.
- “It is most unfortunate that I was subjected to humiliation and defamation at 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.
- “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.
- “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,” the ex-AGF stated.
While commending President Bola Tinubu for resolving what he described as a thorny issue, Adoke said he had forgiven “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.
Backstory
The Federal Government on Thursday announced that Nigeria had reached a settlement agreement with Eni and Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited over the long-running dispute surrounding OPL 245.
The announcement was contained in a press statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga following a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja attended by Eni Chief Executive Officer Claudio Descalzi and other senior company executives.
According to the statement, the settlement agreement was signed in Abuja and ended a dispute that had lasted for more than 15 years over one of Nigeria’s most commercially promising deepwater oil blocks.
What the resolution means
The FG noted that with the dispute now settled, the pathway is clear for Final Investment Decision on the Zabazaba–Etan development, a project capable of adding approximately 150,000 barrels per day to Nigeria’s production capacity and strengthening the country’s long-term energy outlook.
- “This resolution sends a clear signal to global investors that Nigeria is prepared to address legacy issues transparently, uphold the rule of law, and create a stable environment for long-term capital,” the President said.
- “The settlement also represents a significant improvement on the 2011 Resolution Agreement, reflecting the policy framework established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and the administration’s broader fiscal and governance reforms in the energy sector,” the Presidential Adviser on energy, Olu Arowolo-Verheijen, also said.
- “The revised terms strike a balanced outcome, providing investors with the clarity and predictability required to proceed with major deepwater investments, while ensuring stronger value accretion and safeguards for the Federation.
- “By resolving the OPL 245 dispute, the Federal Government has removed one of the most prominent legacy risks in Nigeria’s upstream sector and reinforced its commitment to predictable regulation, transparent governance, and commercially viable investment frameworks,” Arowolo-Verjeihen added.
What you should know
Earlier this week, the Federal Government split the controversial OPL 245 oil block into four new assets to be operated by Eni and Shell, a development that potentially paved the way for development of the long-disputed field.
- The OPL 245 has been at the centre of legal and political controversy for decades, drawing global attention due to allegations of corruption linked to its acquisition.
- The oil block was initially awarded in 1998 to Malabu Oil and Gas, a company linked to former Nigerian oil minister Dan Etete, before it was later sold to Shell and Eni.
Italian prosecutors alleged that most of the $1.3 billion paid for the licence was diverted to politicians and intermediaries.
Eni, Shell, and several executives, including Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi, stood trial in Italy.
All defendants were acquitted in 2021 after denying any wrongdoing.
