•Recalls how ex-Speaker saved him from removal as Borno gov  

•Says culture of secrecy in public service must be broken

• Jonathan: Adoki is a good example of how Buhari victimised, persecuted my ministers   

•Issues surrounding OPL 245 still not sorted, Makinde insists  

•Ex-AGF was one of those that persuaded Jonathan to concede 2015 poll, El-Rufai recalls

•I’ve forgiven my traducers, Adoke declares

Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja 

Vice President Kashim Shettima, yesterday, relived his near-removal experience as governor of Borno State during the days of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Shettima said it was the “courageous intervention” of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, who told Jonathan he had no power to remove an elected governor, that saved him.

The vice president spoke yesterday at the public presentation of “OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block,” a memoir written by former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN).

Shettima also named Adoke, whom he said frustrated at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) the proposal to remove him, and another cabinet member, Kabiru Turaki, SAN, who backed Adoke’s stand.

President Bola Tinubu, recently, removed Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State from office by suspending him, and declared a state of emergency in the state over political rivalry with a member of the president’s cabinet, Nyesom Wike. Tinubu not only had the support of his cabinet, but the National Assembly also approved the action. The suspension is yet to be lifted.

But Shettima recalled at the book launch how a “courageous” National Assembly had saved his office.

He canvassed that the culture of secrecy in Nigeria’s public institutions should be broken, calling for transparency and accountability in the country’s public service.

The vice president urged former and current public officials to summon the courage to document their life and stewardship while in service.

Jonathan, who was represented by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, lamented that the government that succeeded his launched a manhunt against key officers of his administration, citing Adoke as proof.

Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, said the book and the broader discussion it elicited were not just about the oil block, but about how Nigeria governed its resources, how decisions made in government echoed through generations, and how public officials must balance legal clarity with national interest, even when under pressure. 

Immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, said books like the one being launched would be necessary, not only to set the record straight, or give opportunity to those persecuted to vent and put things in perspective, but also to encourage a culture of memoir writing in public service. 

The author, Adoke, said he had forgiven those behind his ordeal, stressing that he has not set out to denigrate anyone, but to set the record straight.

The Oil Prospecting Licence 245 was awarded to Malabu Oil and Gas in 1998 by the administration of Sani Abacha, a former military head of state. But the deal was later revoked by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2001.

The oil block later became the focus of global corruption investigations, criminal prosecutions, and civil lawsuits after Malabu sold its entire stake to Shell and Eni for $1.1 billion in 2011.

The oil companies also paid a $210 million signature bonus to the Nigerian government.

Adoke oversaw the Shell-Eni deal during his tenure as AGF from April 2010 to May 2015.

Speaking at the launch, Shettima revealed that Adoke, Tambuwal, Turaki prevailed on Jonathan to abandon a plan to impeach him as governor of Borno State.

He explained that in the last four years of the Jonathan administration, he was the most demonised serving governor and “was a public enemy number one.”

The vice president stated, “Former President Goodluck Jonathan, with whom we have sheathed the sword and have now recalibrated our relationship, was mooting the idea of removing the Borno governor and Aminu Tambuwal, the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, had the courage to tell the president that Your Excellency, you don’t have the power to remove an elected councillor.

“The president was still not convinced. He mooted the idea at the Federal Executive Council. I admire Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke for his courage and for his conviction and for his capacity to stand for what he believes in.

He told the president that Mr. President, you do not have the power to remove a governor, not even a councillor.

“They sought for the opinion of another SAN in the cabinet, Kabiru Turaki, who concurred with the opinion of a senior colleague. That was how the matter was laid to rest. That was how my relationship with Adoke and Tambuwal became eternally sealed.” 

He said the book served as an access card to the next phase of hearings in the court of public opinion, and emphasised that public service must be remembered, scrutinised, and preserved as part of national history.

According to Shettima, “Each of us, who has had the privilege of serving this country, owes the people an account of our stewardship. Our stories are not ours alone. They belong to the nation. They belong to history.

“There is silence to preserve relationships. There is silence to protect secrets too delicate to disclose. And there is silence for memories we would rather forget. But as a generation of leaders, we must summon the courage to document our journeys.”

The vice president described Adoke’s personal reflections in the book as courageous, saying the former minister’s claim of being “bloodied but unbowed” would resonate with anyone who has walked the corridors of power in Nigeria.

He stated, “There is no doubt that those named in this book will tell their own side of the story. That, indeed, is how history finds its balance. Every witness must speak. Every accused person must speak. Every participant must speak.

“Life itself is a litigation with no end. There is no final adjournment in the pursuit of justice. There is no permanent discharge in the reckoning of history. We are always being summoned — not by a judge, but by conscience and by posterity.”

Shettima emphasised the need for public officials to see themselves as custodians of national memory, stressing that the importance of storytelling is not in perfection, but in the necessity of preserving the truth for future generations.

He said, “The courts may close. The headlines may fade. The official records may be revised. But the conscience of a nation never adjourns. In that eternal courtroom, we are all on trial—not only for what we did, but for what we dared to remember. For what we dared to reveal. And for what we dared to pass on.

“This culture of accounting for our place in history shall remain our solemn pact until we draw our final breath. It is a duty that binds us to one another and to the generations yet unborn.”

Jonathan, represented by Anyim, lamented that the succeeding government launched what many people saw as a manhunt against key officers of his administration, citing Adoke as evidence.

He said, “But today, he’s alive, he’s healthy, he’s here to tell his story. Let me,therefore, use this occasion to congratulate Mr. Bello Adoke, my friend and my brother, for his doggedness and to say that I am pleased to join you in celebrating this victory.

“I am to state, as always, that it is acknowledged among all civilisations that any society or organisation that does not promote justice and fairness will neither have peace nor make progress.

“The essence of the author’s effort in documenting his memoir is not only to put the record straight, but to contribute to the cause of truth and justice as the foremost pillars of nation building.

“To some people, the occasion may be a book presentation, whereas to others, it may mean different things, the book launch means a celebration of victory over persecution.”

Makinde said the book and the broader discussion it provoked was not just about the oil block, but also about how Nigeria governed its resources, how decisions made in government echoed through generations, and how public officials must balance legal clarity with national interest, even when under pressure. 

He said, “It is about the gaps in our institutional frameworks, from discretionary licensing regimes to unclear accountability lines that leave room for international actors to take liberties with our sovereignty and for local actors to act with impunity.

“It must be said that not everyone agrees with positions taken in this book, nor should they be.”

Makinde stated that what Adoke did was to offer his account with names, dates, context, and consequences, and place before the court of public opinion, long after the courts of law had had their turn. 

He said, “This is how historical narratives are built. We must not be silent about our history and records must be kept. 

“We live in a country where records are passed, where narratives are quickly lost in headlines, and where legal complexity is often weaponised.

“In this context, Mallam B’s decision to document his side of the story is not just brave, it is necessary because history must not only be recorded, it must also be contested, clarified and understood.

“OPL 245 was on a different scale. That block had an estimated 9 billion barrels of crude, which is enough to shift the national GDP outflow.

“So I’m not surprised that the court was caught in a web of contested ownership, cross border litigation and accusations running three continents. Up till now, the issue, surrounding OPL 245 is still not sorted.”

El-Rufai, on his part, said “We don’t try it enough in this country. We don’t pass enough of our experiences —both good and bad to next generation 

“I’m looking forward to reading the book, because I really want to understand the role of various actors, because I’ve had discussions on OPL 245, several times with President Buhari. I had a special relationship with him, I had access to him, everyone knows.

“And everyone also knows that Mohammed Bello Adoke was one of those that stood and persuaded President Jonathan to actually concede the 2015 election.  So, we should actually thank him and the APC government of 2015, not persecute him.

“I want to understand because I’ve had discussions when this was going on several times with President Buhari, and I did not have the impression that he had any interest in the matter other than allowing due process to proceed. So, I want to understand. I want to read it, and I want to learn as well.”

However, the author said he had forgiven those who had hands in his ordeals, adding that he is not out to vilify anyone, but to set the record straight.

Adoke stated, “While I’m not attempting to review the book, it is important to assure you all that I did not set out to denigrate anyone, but to set the record straight and provide valuable insights into a transaction that was not only carried out in furtherance of the national interest, but also to safeguard Nigeria’s economic interests as it relates to the exploitation of our hydrocarbon resources.

“Although I was not a party to the 2006 settlement agreement, which preceded my appointment as Attorney General of the Federation of Nigeria and Minister of Justice, my traducers, state and non-state actors alike, ensured that I suffered immense public opium, loss of reputation and family lives for the role I played in ensuring the implementation of an agreement in 2011 notwithstanding that I was only carrying out the lawful directives of the president in the exercise of his executive powers under the constitution.”

The former AGF stressed that the book had revealed the damaging role of anti-corruption campaigners – local and international – especially when the motives were less than altruistic, and left with unethical conduct and desire to achieve nothing more than to destroy hard earned reputations.

He emphasised that their use of unethical and illegal tactics, as was done in his case, was to satisfy vested interests and predetermined outcomes. 

Adoke stated, “The OPL prosecution revealed disturbing incidents of connivance, conspiracy to pervert the cost of justice and downright suppression of exculpating evidence to secure a conviction at all cost, 

“The amount of public funds expended on this malicious prosecution and unmotivated civil suits is outstanding. Nigerian taxpayer should not be made to carry such a needless burden. There must be consequences for ill-conceived and malicious prosecution conducted at public expense.”

Adoke said while the Milan prosecutors in Italy were found guilty of suppressing exculpatory evidence, punished and jailed for eight months, nothing happened to the investigators and prosecutors of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), who indulged in illegalities to satisfy their pay masters.

He explained, “Permit me to say that I have forgiven all those who had a hand in my ordeal. With the public presentation of this book, I say boldly and clearly that I admired the courage of Ibrahim Mustapha Magu in coming forward to make up with me, apologise to me, and sympathise for the role each and every one of them played in my travail. I have forgiven him.” 

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