OPEC Secretary General, Barkindo laid to rest

The remains of HE Dr. Muhammed Barkindo, the outgoing secretary-general of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) have been laid to rest Wednesday in Yola, Adamawa State.

Barkindo, a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, died at about 11p.m on Tuesday, a few hours after delivering a speech to oil and gas stakeholders at the ongoing 2022 Nigerian Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition in Abuja, according to Mele Kyari, the incumbent NNPC GMD. After the conference, the OPEC chief also visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the Villa where he was honoured as “a worthy ambassador”.

He was aged 63.

Dr. Barkindo was appointed OPEC Secretary General in 2016. He was the fourth Nigerian to hold that position and the 28th person in the role overall.

HIS LIFE AND TIMES

Barkindo, who had an eventful final day on earth, enjoyed a life filled with sterling feats and an impressive career trajectory. He spent 24 years in various capacities at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), working his way from the fringes to the core of the organisation. As his status grew locally, he also became a perennial feature in the Nigerian delegation to OPEC. Barkindo was born in Yola, the capital of Adamawa state, on April 20, 1959. After his primary and secondary education, he proceeded to earn his first degree in political science at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, at the age of 22.

A year later, he began his career with the Nigerian Mining Corporation (NMC) where he rose to the level of a principal administrative officer before leaving in 1986.

And in January 2009, he was appointed the group managing director (GMD) of the NNPC.

SOURCE: OperaNews