Posted by: Gent
on July 22, 2014
President
Goodluck Jonathan has mourned the passing away of the former Minister
of Petroleum Resources and one-time secretary general of the
Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Dr Rilwanu Lukman.
The late Lukman, who held several government appointments including
minister of mines, power and steel and Senior Special Adviser to the
President on Petroleum and Energy matters, died Monday morning after an
undisclosed protracted illness in Vienna, Austria, a month to his 76th
birthday.
President Jonathan, in a statement signed by his spokesman, Dr.
Reuben Abati, yesterday, noted that it was with sadness and a feeling of
great national loss that he received news of the death of Rilwanu
Lukman whom he said the country owed a huge debt of gratitude.
Also, Senate President David Mark in his reaction, described the ex-minister’s demise as a huge loss to Nigeria.
In a press statement issued by his chief press secretary, Paul Mumeh,
the senate president noted that Lukman was one of few Africans who left
positive footprints on the sands of time.
In the same vein, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has described
the late Lukman as the best oil minister Nigeria has ever had.
Atiku, in a statement by his media office in Abuja yesterday said, “I
will describe Rilwanu Lukman as the best oil minister we ever had given
his unmatched knowledge of the industry and the integrity with which he
ran the ministry”.