OPEC Secretary General, (OPEC) Sanusi Barkindo is dead
By Mukhail Salau
A Nigerian, Muhammad Sanusi who is also the Secretary General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo, is dead.
Barking died this week after a meeting with President Mohammadu Buhari.
He was aged 63.
We lost our esteemed Dr Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo. He died at about 11 pm yesterday 5th July 2022. Certainly a great loss to his immediate family, the NNPC, our country Nigeria, the OPEC and the global energy community.
“Burial arrangements will be announced shortly.”
President Muhammadu Buhari had described the outgoing OPEC Secretary General as a worthy ambassador of Nigeria
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina to the President said posterity would remember Barkindo kindly for making the nation and himself proud during his six years of meritorious service at the helm of affairs as the 4th OPEC Secretary-General from Nigeria.
Adesina said “You have indeed been a worthy ambassador of our country. We are proud of your achievements before and during your appointment at OPEC and the proud legacies you will leave behind.
“Your time in charge of the affairs of OPEC has been a very challenging one for the global oil industry. Oil producers were finding it difficult to come together to address challenges that were crippling the oil market.
“Not long after, the world was faced with the COVID-19 pandemic that sent crude prices spiralling down at an alarming rate. You showed incredible leadership to rally industry players and pushed through the turbulent times.
“There is no doubt about your efforts in putting together the Declaration of Cooperation which is the largest in the history of OPEC and the global oil industry and also the longest in duration in the history of the organization. This was a herculean task.”
The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, informed the public in Tuesday.
He announced Barkindo’s death in a tweet in the early hours of Wednesday.
Kyari said Barkindo died at about 11pm on Tuesday.
He said the late OPEC boss was a great loss to his family, NNPC Nigeria, OPEC and the global energy community.