Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, has welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to resolve the long-running dispute surrounding Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 245.

Adoke described the development as overdue and said it vindicated steps taken during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan to address the contentious oil block issue.

In a statement released on Friday after the government confirmed a settlement with Eni and Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited, the former minister said he “wholeheartedly” supported the implementation of agreements that had been reached many years ago to settle the dispute.

“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.

Adoke also commended President Bola Tinubu for bringing the matter to a close, saying the move reflected leadership and a sound understanding of the nation’s economic priorities.

“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.

However, the former justice minister criticised the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, accusing it of frustrating earlier efforts aimed at resolving 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 said his involvement in settling the matter during the Jonathan administration exposed him to years of legal challenges 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 argued that Nigeria could have benefited economically much earlier if the previous administration had not reopened the matter.

“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.

Adoke maintained that the latest settlement reinforced his demand for an apology from the Federal 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 prolonged controversy surrounding the deal, he said he had forgiven those who attacked him during the dispute.

“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 found no evidence of fraud in the OPL 245 transaction between Nigeria and JP Morgan Chase Bank.

The settlement announced on Thursday by President Tinubu is expected to pave the way for renewed investment and the development of the deepwater field. (Vanguard)

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