President Muhammadu Buhari, Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, and others on Saturday mourned the death of the immediate past Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr Maikanti Baru.
Buhari, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, sympathised with the family of the deceased, the NNPC management and the people of Bauchi State.
The statement said, “President Buhari acknowledges Dr Baru’s contributions to ensuring stability in the oil sector in Nigeria, with a more guaranteed supply and predictable price regime that weakened unscrupulous parallel marketers, especially during the festive seasons.”
Also, Gbajabiamila said Baru gave his best to the country, especially during his tenure as the GMD of NNPC.
In a statement by his spokesman, Lanre Lasisi, the Speaker said Baru would be remembered for his contributions to the upliftment of the NNPC.
Also, Niger State Governor and Chairman of the North -Central Governors’ Forum, Abubakar Bello, said Baru’s demise came at a time when his expertise, experience and professionalism were still needed, especially in the downstream sector of the country.
Also, OPEC said Baru’s death was a huge loss to the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.
The organisation’s Secretary-General, Mohammed Barkindo, disclosed this in a condolence message released in Abuja.
This is as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, said he received the news of Baru’s passing with shock and sadness.
In a statement from his ministry, he described the former NNPC GMD as a dedicated technocrat who would be greatly missed by the oil and gas community and the country at large.
Baru, a mechanical engineer, was the 18th GMD of NNPC.
His death was announced by the current GMD of the corporation, Mele Kyari, on Saturday morning.
The former NNPC boss was said to have died late Friday night after a brief illness at an undisclosed hospital in the Federal Capital Territory.
