BY Mayowa Tijani
Ibe Kachikwu, former minister of state for petroleum, has broken his long silence after exiting office as a minister in May 2019.
Kachikwu, who also served as OPEC president in December 2015, said he just underwent prostate surgery, which has also been one of the reasons he has been out of the public eye.
The former NNPC group managing director, via his personal website, said: “Since leaving office, I have been off the radar, owing to the need to depressurize after four years of constant public exposure and the resultant stress”.
“Although many Nigerians focus on the glamour of public office, the truth is that public office, for those who want to make a real difference, is challenging and stressful.
“However, the opportunity to serve one’s country is unique. It is a special privilege, which one should be thankful for—a call which one should always be willing to accept.”
Ibe Emmanuel Kachikwu
The former Mobil boss said he will now serve as a visiting professor in some world-renowned institutions, where he would share from his wealth of experience in the oil industry.
He revealed that he wrote six books while in office from 2015 to 2018.
“I will also be serving as visiting professor in some world-renowned institutions in Nigeria and USA to further push the envelope on my intellectual pursuits.
“In my four years of serving in the capacities mentioned above, the experience allowed me to author six books between 2015 and 2018. These books are:
Kachikwu said he also completed work on an additional four books based on his experience.
“These books will be unveiled as soon as the dust settles on the pandemic,” he added, stating that the new books and earlier ones published before he became a minister, will help shape his guidance of research students, and people consulting in the oil industry.
Abba Kyari
Kachikwu said “whilst on this COVID-19 pandemic, nothing brought home more frighteningly the loss that Nigeria has suffered and may continue to suffer to this plague, than the death of Abba”.
The former minister said he “reached out to him often while he was in hospital, and didn’t see the end coming”.
He sent his condolences “to his lovely wife and children whom I have had many opportunities to meet previously. May God give the family the courage to bear the loss and may Abba’s soul Rest in Peace”.
Kachikwu at OPEC
Kachikwu, who served as NNPC GMD and minister in the oil sector, said some bullish steps need to be taken in the wake of COVID-19 or the sector may collapse in Nigeria.
“There is a lot to worry about, and a lot of urgency needs to be given to the tasks needed to save this sector. If you followed me in my twilight years in office, you will remember my famous ‘URGENCY OF NOW’ clarion call and the speed with which I raced to seek solutions for this sector as though time was running out!
“And time is truly running out. I know that those at the helm of affairs in this sector, both public and private, are doing a lot to stabilise it.
“Nigeria needs to go back to the drawing board to figure out the right approach to this sector. It cannot be business as usual anymore and some of the new bold decisions being taken reflect this. However, the time has come to be BULLISH, or the sector will collapse.
“I will stop here… for now… and until next time, I will say again a big ‘Thank You’ to all Nigerians.”
Kachikwu, who worked with Mobil before he was appointed minister, said he took a pay cut of “at least a million dollars every year” to serve the country.
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