By Adewale Sanyaolu
The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has described it’s late Secretary General, Muhammed Sanusi Barkindo, who passed away late Tuesday in Nigeria as the much-loved leader of the OPEC Secretariat .
Barkindo who was a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) died in Abuja at the age of 63. His tenure at OPEC was billed at expire on July 31, 2022.
The cartel said in a statement posted on its official Twitter handle that his death was a profound loss to the entire OPEC Family, the oil industry and the international community.
Also, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, on Wednesday mourned the demise of the outgoing OPEC Secretary General, Dr Mohammed Barkindo, saying “This is a great loss to Nigeria, to OPEC, to the energy sector and most compassionately to his family which we have in our prayers and thoughts,” he said.
Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mallam Mele Kyari, in a tweet early yesterday, disclosed that he died about 11pm Tuesday night.
‘‘We lost our esteemed Dr. Muhammadu Sanusi Barkindo, he died at about 11pm yesterday (Tuesday), July 5, 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’’.