President Muhammadu Buhari, Saturday, condoled with the family, friends and professional colleagues of former Group Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Dr Maikanti Kachalla Baru.
Baru died at an Abuja Hospital Saturday morning aged 60.
In a statement issued by Mr. Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Buhari also commiserated with the government and people of Bauchi State, management and staff of NNPC over the passing of its immediate past GMD, who, the Ppresident said, “worked very hard to initiate reforms in virtually all departments of the of the corporation, bringing it up to speed with global trends and best practices.”
Adesina further stated that President Buhari acknowledged “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 festive seasons.”
The late GMD of the NNPC was appointed by Buhari in July 2016, and he served till 2019 when he was replaced by Engineer Mele Kyari.
The current GMD of the corporation, Mele Kyari, jolted Nigerians with the news of Baru’s passing, Saturday morning.
He said on his twitter handle that, “My brother, my friend and my mentor, Dr Maikanti Kachalla Baru, immediate past GMD of NNPC died late last night.
“He was of exemplary character and disposition. May Allah forgive him and have mercy upon him.”
Tributes have continued to pour for the late Baru from virtually every part of Nigeria.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, described the news of the Baru’s demise “shocking”.
Sylva’s predecessor as Minister of State, Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu, said: “Sad to learn about his death.”
Born in July 1959 in Misau, Bauchi State, the late Baru attended Federal Government College, Jos, for his secondary education and he graduated in 1978.He obtained his Bachelor of Engineering degree from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1982, and his Doctorate in Computer Aided Engineering from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom.