ABUJA – President Goodluck Jonathan has described the late former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Alhaji Rilwanu Lukman, as a brilliant technocrat and administrator who spent almost his entire life serving the country.
This is contained in a statement issued by Dr Reuben Abati, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, in Abuja on Monday.
Jonathan said the country would remain grateful to the late Lukman for his significant contributions to the development of the oil and gas industry.
He said that the deceased would also be remembered “for serving with acclaimed distinction as the nation’s representative at the helm of OPEC affairs over many years’’.
The statement said; “Jonathan has received with much sadness and a feeling of great national loss, news of the passing away of the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Alhaji Rilwanu Lukman.
“The president commiserates with the former minister’s family, the government and people of his home state, Kaduna as well as his friends, associates and all those he mentored in the domestic and global oil industry.
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“He shares their sorrow as they mourn the brilliant engineer, technocrat and administrator who spent almost all of his working life serving his country.
“Lukman also dedicated himself to the service of the global community in various capacities, including Minister, Special Adviser, Secretary-General and President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).’’
The president thanked God “for bestowing Lukman on the nation and for the great intelligence, integrity, competence and humility with which he distinguished himself in all his national and international assignments’’.
“Jonathan firmly believes that Nigeria will always owe a huge debt of gratitude to the late minister for his very significant contributions to the development of the country’s oil and gas industry.
“He prayed that the Almighty God will receive Lukman’s gentle soul and grant him eternal rest in paradise,’’ the statement said.
Born on Aug. 26, 1938, Lukman died on Monday in a hospital in Vienna, Austra. (NAN)
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