The Rilwanu Lukman I knew

His voice sounded strong on the phone. He was full of gratitude for the call and he prayed for me and for the success of the International Institute for Petroleum, Energy Law and Policy (IIPELP). I told him that I would love to visit him in Vienna. He was delighted to hear of my intended visit and insisted he would give me his son’s phone contact for proper liaison so that my visit would be smooth. He informed me that he was at the hospital receiving treatment.
Until his death, Dr. Lukman was the Vice-Chairman of IIPELP, where I serve as the current President. In December 2011, the then Board of IIPELP was looking for an internationally renowned personality who had achieved exemplary distinction in the Petroleum, Gas and Energy field, to be recognized for outstanding achievement. IIPELP is into Capacity Building, Strategic Training and Legacy Lecture Series; Policy Round Tables, Workshops, Seminars and Conferences; Institutional Development/Organizational Strengthening; Awards/Recognition-Performance Awards and Recognition; Endowment Opportunities-Africa’s Power Infrastructure; Publications-Books, Journals, Newsletters and Monographs; as well as Research-Research Projects.
The board finally decided on Dr. Rilwanu Lukman for the conferment of a Life Time Achievement Award. My assignment was to contact this great man whom I had never met and try to persuade him to accept this award.
 To me this seemed an uphill task as Dr. Lukman was not even resident in Nigeria but in Vienna-Austria, and I had no personal links to him then. I only had his phone contact, so I used what I had.

DR. RILWANU LUKMAN – A LIFE OF SERVICE
I phoned Dr. Lukman, not knowing what to expect, as most people are usually weary of receiving calls from parties they do not know; what with the “Advanced-Fee” fraudsters on the prowl in a country such as Nigeria!
 Dr. Lukman answered my call and sounded pleasant, calm, patient and amiable; he patiently listened to me as I tried to explain the vision and mission of IIPELP, how our organization had decided to recognize him for his outstanding achievements in service to his dear country and humanity; and whether he would accept our invitation to come over to Nigeria for the award.
Dr. Rilwanu Lukman after listening to my entreaties on phone told me that since he left office in March 2010 as Minister, he has had no cause to visit Nigeria; but that he would be delighted not only to accept but would also personally be present for the award. He stated that his health was not very good, but that he would ask his doctor for permission to travel. A great sigh of relief washed over me as I dropped that phone.
I was later to understand that Dr. Lukman accepted to receive the award because of what IIPELP stood for, when in his acceptance lecture during the award he said, “IIPELP is an attempt to bring to focus the economic future of not only Nigeria but Africa through the Instrumentality of appropriate government laws and Policies.” This showed me that the man was ready to make sacrifices for the cause that he believed in.
Here is a man whom I had never met, and who also had never met me, being so nice and gentle in acceding to my requests. Dr Lukman struck me as a simple, jovial and quiet friendly person. This speaks a lot about the man’s humility; for someone who has held such high positions as, President of OPEC from 1986-1989 and Secretary-General between 1995 and 2000; and for 4 years until 2003, was an adviser on Petroleum and Energy Matters to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
In October 2012, Dr. Lukman came for the award in Abuja-Nigeria with his son Salihu, on the invitation of IIPELP.  He was flown on a first class ticket and given accommodation at the presidential suite of the Transcorp-Hilton hotel in Abuja. After the second day, Dr. Lukman phoned me to express how deeply touched he was by IIPELP’s warm hospitality. He felt that IIPELP was incurring heavy costs in hosting him, by flying him first-class, his son on business class, and also accommodating him in the presidential suite.  That in order to save IIPELP some costs, he would like to move out of the hotel to his daughter’s residence in Asokoro. This was how conscientious Dr. Lukman was
I had the singular privilege of not only meeting with him in person, but also sitting beside him in the car as we   drove to the Presidential Villa to see the Vice President, Arch. Namadi Sambo. He shared some thoughts on the Petroleum Industry Bill, (PIB) and also introduced IIPELP to the Vice President.
My wife and I visited him at a house in Asokoro on a particular night and he surprised us by actually seeing us off to the car. He was a man who never forgot to wish my family and I Merry Christmas and Happy New year in subsequent years; such was the candor of the man! He once called me and said, “Niyi, see, the award you gave me has opened a floodgate for new awards coming to me. I have just been invited to receive an African Achievers Award in Kenya. I will like you to meet the organizers.”
Dr. Lukman will be sorely missed; both by his family and by his many friends, like me, whom he helped and inspired. As he rests from his life’s long labor, this great husband, father, and friend has made his family, Nigeria, Africa, and indeed the entire world, proud by his life. The world is most definitely a better place because of Dr. Rilwanu Lukman.
Prof. Ayoola-Daniels is the President, International Institute for Petroleum, Energy Law and Policy (IIPELP)