Senator Ben Murray-Bruce has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sack officials he described as “clowns and passengers” and bring more “mad men” into his administration, to fix Nigeria’s moribund refineries and achieve the four million barrels per day crude oil target.
Murray-Bruce in a statement issued on Tuesday, August 18, said that Nigeria needs bold officials who are willing to confront entrenched interests, step on powerful toes and deliver results in the country’s petroleum sector.
Describing himself as a supporter of the Tinubu administration, Murray-Bruce said genuine support should not amount to sycophancy, urging President Tinubu to surround himself with officials who are prepared to take unpopular decisions in the national interest.
He used the term “mad men” to describe government officials who are “crazy enough to confront a broken system, step on powerful toes, offend entrenched interests and refuse to accept mediocrity simply because mediocrity has become normal.”
According to him, Nigeria needs officials who are obsessed with measurable results rather than bureaucratic processes and excuses.
Murray-Bruce cited Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Olayemi Cardoso and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu as examples of what he described as “mad men” in the Tinubu administration.
“Look at the Central Bank under Olayemi Cardoso. Whatever disagreements anybody may have with individual policies, there is no question that the institution has undergone a serious reset,” he said.
“Discipline and credibility have returned to monetary policymaking. That is one mad man.
“Look at Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. Nigeria still has serious security challenges, and nobody should pretend otherwise. But there is a seriousness, coordination and strategic direction in the national security architecture that deserves recognition. That is another mad man.”
Murray-Bruce, however, noted that two such officials were insufficient for a country of more than 200 million people, particularly in the oil and gas sector.
He called on Tinubu to appoint officials capable of transforming Nigeria’s moribund government-owned refineries and significantly increasing crude oil production.
“Mr President, two mad men are not enough for a country of more than 200 million people,” he said. “We need another one in petroleum. In fact, give us two more.”
Murray-Bruce said Nigeria could no longer afford the contradiction of being a major crude oil producer while importing refined petroleum products.
He urged Tinubu to make the rehabilitation and commercially viable operation of the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries a “national obsession.”
“Nigeria cannot continue to behave like a poor country sitting on the assets of a rich country,” he said.
According to him, Nigerians have heard enough explanations about turnaround maintenance, contractors, technical reviews, committees and billions of naira spent on government-owned refineries.
“We want products coming out of those refineries,” he said, adding that the government should consider bringing in world-class technical partners, private capital, restructuring or concessions if those options would guarantee efficient operation of the facilities.
“But whatever model is chosen, the objective must be brutally simple: Make the refineries work,” he said.
Murray-Bruce also pointed to the Dangote Refinery as evidence that large-scale refining is possible in Nigeria.
He said the facility, designed with a 650,000-barrel-per-day nameplate capacity, should provide a benchmark for government-owned refineries.
He proposed that the three government-owned refining complexes should target at least half of Dangote Refinery’s nameplate capacity, amounting to about 325,000 barrels per day of reliable and commercially viable throughput.
“Then push beyond it,” he added, stressing that Nigeria should move beyond merely meeting domestic fuel demand and position itself as a major refining hub and exporter of petroleum products across Africa and beyond.
On crude oil production, Murray-Bruce challenged Tinubu to identify an official capable of delivering the administration’s stated ambition of increasing production towards four million barrels per day by 2030.
“Mr President, find the mad man who will deliver it,” he said, insisting that such an official must be prepared to tackle oil theft, bureaucratic bottlenecks, high production costs, dormant oil assets and slow regulatory approvals while attracting fresh investment into the sector.
“I don’t want another committee chairman. I want a mad man. I don’t want somebody who will spend four years explaining why something cannot be done. I want somebody crazy enough to do it,” he said.
Murray-Bruce further warned that government ministries, departments, agencies and presidential appointees responsible for critical sectors should not treat public office as a retirement arrangement.
“This is not a retirement home,” he said, urging Tinubu to remove officials who are unable or unwilling to deliver.
He noted that loyalty to friends, fear of powerful interests and bureaucratic constraints should not take precedence over Nigeria’s interests.
“If you cannot deliver, leave. If you are afraid of stepping on toes, leave. If protecting friendships is more important than protecting Nigeria’s interests, leave. If bureaucracy frightens you, leave. If vested interests can intimidate you, leave,” he said.
The senator called for the appointment of two additional officials with clear and measurable mandates, one focused on crude oil production and another dedicated to refining.
“Give them measurable targets, presidential backing and deadlines, and then get out of their way while they step on every toe that needs stepping on,” he said
Murray-Bruce urged Tinubu to prioritise results over political convenience, stressing that Nigeria needs increased oil production, functioning refineries and the capacity to export refined petroleum products.
“Four million barrels per day. Working refineries. A Nigeria that refines its own crude and exports petroleum products to the world. No excuses. No clowns. No passengers. Only results,” he said.
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