The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, on Monday condoled with the government and people of Nigeria over the death of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Rilwanu Lukman.
Lukman, who was a three-term Secretary-General of OPEC, passed on in the early hours of Monday at an undisclosed hospital in Vienna, the Austrian capital.
In a statement by the OPEC Secretariat in Vienna, the organisation said the news of departure of Lukman after a long bout with an undisclosed illness was received “with profound and deep sadness”.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Dr. Lukman’s family at this difficult time” the OPEC secretariat said in the statement.
The organisation recalled Lukman’s long and distinguished career, which encompassed more than five decades, saying he was “a servant to the Nigerian Government and its petroleum industry, and of course played a major role in the history of OPEC”.
“He was widely recognized and highly regarded in the global petroleum industry; a loyal and dedicated man, who had the best interests of Nigeria and OPEC at heart. His service to OPEC is a very long list.
“He was OPEC Secretary General for six years between 1995 and 2000 and served as President of the OPEC Conference on a record number of occasions between 1986 and 1989 and in 2002.”
OPEC said that Lukman had during his tenure at the OPEC Secretariat garnered great respect among other Ministers and the staff that worked with him, pointing out that his commitment and service to OPEC was worthy of praise and admiration.
As OPEC Secretary General, the group listed some of his achievements to include helping guide the Organization through the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and 1998; managing OPEC’s participation with member countries in the very early United Nations COP meetings; overseeing the second OPEC Summit of Head of State and Government in Venezuela in 2000; and helping evolve the producer-consumer dialogue.
OPEC said Lukman would be remembered through his commitment and enthusiasm for Nigeria, OPEC and the petroleum industry.
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