Vice President Kashim Shettima has underscored the critical need for transparency and accountability within Nigeria’s public service.
He urged both former and current public officials to courageously document their experiences and contributions while in office.
He likened public life to a continuous legal process, emphasising that ‘life is a litigation with no end and no final adjournment in the pursuit of justice.’
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Mr Shettima made these remarks on Thursday at the public presentation of ‘OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block’, a memoir penned by former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke.
Reflecting on the highly contentious Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL 245) deal, he stated that Mr Adoke’s book serves as an ‘access card’ to a new phase of public scrutiny, reiterating that public service must be remembered, examined, and preserved as an integral part of Nigeria’s national history.
“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,” Mr Shettima declared.
He criticised the prevailing culture of secrecy within Nigeria’s public institutions, describing it as a ‘form of silence that must be broken.’
“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,” he urged.
Mr Shettima lauded Mr Adoke’s personal reflections in the book as courageous, noting that the former minister’s assertion of being ‘bloodied but unbowed’ would resonate with anyone who has navigated the complexities of power in Nigeria.
“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,” he added, reiterating the perpetual nature of historical reckoning.
Mr Shettima stressed that public officials should consider themselves custodians of national memory, highlighting that the true value of storytelling lies not in achieving perfection, but in the essential act of preserving truth for future generations.
“The courts may close. The headlines may fade. The official records may be revised. But the conscience of a nation never adjourns,” he stated, emphasising an ‘eternal courtroom’ where individuals are judged by conscience and posterity.
Earlier at the event, former President Goodluck Jonathan, represented by former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, commended Adoke’s wisdom, courage, and resilience in the face of intimidation and alleged blackmail.
Mr Jonathan hailed the book’s launch as a ‘celebration of victory over deliberate persecution’ and cautioned politicians against recklessness and abuse of office, advocating for commitment to justice, fairness, and service to humanity.
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State praised Mr Adoke’s diligence in chronicling his tenure as Attorney General.
Mr Makinde remarked that beyond providing context on the disputed OPL 245, the book delves into broader issues concerning institutional, governance, and justice frameworks within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
He concluded that the book’s public presentation would underscore the necessity of policy reforms and a renewed culture of documentation in public service—elements he deems essential for national development.
The author, Mr Adoke, explained that his motivation for writing the memoir was not to malign any individual or group, but to ‘set the records straight’ and offer insights into the intricacies of the $1.3 billion Nigerian Oil Block transaction.
While expressing forgiveness for those who caused significant distress to him, his family, and his business, he reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to the Nigerian project.
Mr Adoke called for comprehensive reforms in Nigeria’s justice and public service systems to prevent similar unfortunate experiences in the future.
Reviewing the book, Reuben Abati, former Special Adviser to Mr Jonathan on Media and Publicity, concurred with Adoke’s assertion that the book serves a therapeutic purpose, emphasising its necessity to clarify historical records.
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“The focus is on the OPL245, in an extensive and comprehensive account of the allegations about his role, the burden he has actually endured in terms of what he called clinical persecution, or ‘the lies and lies and more lies’ that were told against him and his eventual vindication,” Mr Abati noted.
He described the book as a vital effort to document facts and clear the author’s name for posterity.
