Adoke warns against calls for abrogation of onshore/offshore oil dichotomy

Adoke gave the warning at a valedictory session in honour of retired Justice Francis Tabai of the Supreme Court in Abuja on Thursday.

He stressed that the public must avoid overheating the polity through the current debates on the desirability or otherwise of re-opening the issue bordering on the sharing formula.

``One notes with grave concern the recent deliberate attempt to resurrect this debate and elevate it to the level of urgent national issue.’’

Adoke said that the matter had the potential to generate acrimonious wrangling within the polity.

According to him, the issue has been foreclosed in view of the judicial determination in the past.

He said the Supreme Court had ruled that the Principle of Derivation Act of 2004 was not in conflict with the 1999 Constitution.

The minister said that ``it behoves on us all to promote the sanctity of our judicial system.

``Pronouncements of the courts should neither be treated with levity nor be subjected to undue politicisation in the name of politics or pursuit of particular interests.

``Our country faces several challenges today as we pursue the consolidation of our democracy and the triumph of the rule of law in all aspects of our national life.’’

Adoke said the contributions of Tabai as a former justice of the apex court would certainly be missed. ``Retired justice Francis Tabai was indeed an erudite jurist.’’

Justice Aloma Muhktar, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, described Tabai’s 39 years on the bench as meritorious.

Mr Okey Wali (SAN), President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) said Tabai found divine satisfaction in his calling, adding that ``he was an incorruptible judge indeed.

``Growing up, I always admired my Lord’s neatness in dressing and character and he, no doubt, was a source of inspiration to all lawyers.’’ .

Tabai was called to the Nigerian Bar in June 1970.


The former justice of the Supreme Court retired from the Supreme Court bench at the mandatory age of 70 years on July 25.

An autobiography titled ``A Providential Judicial Path’’ was presented in honour of the Supreme Court Justice.