- Safiu Kehinde
Former Bayelsa lawmaker, Sen. Ben Murray-Bruce, has charged President Bola Tinubu to appoint into his cabinet who he described as ‘mad men’ to oversee the affairs of the petroleum sector in the country.
Murray-Bruce gave the charge in an open letter issued on his Facebook page on Tuesday.
While reaffirming his support for the Tinubu-led administration, the former lawmaker who represented Bayelsa East Senatorial District, harped on the need for the president two more mad men that can oversee the affairs of the petroleum sector and take daring decisions which will see the refineries across the work again.
Explaining what he meant by mad men as used in the letter, Murray-Bruce held that the petroleum sector needs men and women who are crazy enough to confront a broken system, step on powerful toes, offend entrenched interests and refuse to accept mediocrity.
“Mr President, Nigeria needs more mad men in your government.
“And before anybody deliberately misunderstands me, let me explain what I mean by mad men.
“I mean men and women 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.
“We need people who wake up every morning obsessed with results.
“We need people who are prepared to become unpopular in Abuja if that is the price of becoming useful to Nigeria.” He said.
Murray-Bruce cited the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, as examples of those he considered as mad men who were prepared to work, confront problems and take responsibility.
“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.
“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.
“Ribadu is prepared to work, confront problems and take responsibility.
“That is another mad man.” He said.
The ex-lawmaker demanded that Tinubu appoint two more people with similar traits who can take the daring decisions needed to revive the government-owned refineries in Nigeria.
Murray-Bruce described Nigeria’s exporting of crude and importing the products refined from it as an economy of madness of the wrong kind which needs to be addressed by madness of the right kind.
“Mr President, two mad men are not enough for a country of more than 200 million people.
“We need another one in petroleum. In fact, give us two more.
“Nigeria cannot continue to behave like a poor country sitting on the assets of a rich country.
“We produce crude oil. We possess enormous reserves.
“We have decades of petroleum expertise. We have spent fortunes on refineries.
“Yet for years we became accustomed to exporting crude and importing the products refined from it.
“That is economic madness of the wrong kind.
“Now we need madness of the right kind.” He said.
Murray-Bruce demanded the rehabilitation and commercially viable operation of the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries
“Nigerians have heard enough explanations about turnaround maintenance, contractors, technical reviews, committees, timelines and billions spent.
“We want products coming out of those refineries.
“If government cannot operate them efficiently, find the structure that can. Bring in world-class technical partners. Introduce private capital where necessary.
“Restructure them. Concession them if that produces the best outcome. But whatever model is chosen, the objective must be brutally simple:
“MAKE THE REFINERIES WORK.” He wrote.
The former lawmaker cited the Dangote Refinery as a prove that the government-owned refineries can also thrive.
“Dangote has shown what is possible on Nigerian soil. Its refinery was designed for 650,000 barrels per day and has reportedly demonstrated even higher throughput during performance testing.
“So let us establish an audacious benchmark.
“Mr President, let the three government-owned refining complexes target, at minimum, the equivalent of 50% of Dangote’s nameplate refining capacity—about 325,000 barrels per day of reliable, commercially viable throughput. Then push beyond it.
“Nigeria should not merely aspire to satisfy its domestic demand. Our ambition should be much bigger.
“We should become a refining powerhouse for Africa and a major exporter of refined petroleum products.
“And upstream, the instruction should be equally uncompromising.” He said.
This, he maintained, can only be achieve with another ‘mad man’ in the helm of affairs in the petroleum sector.
“Murray-Bruce reminded Tinubu of his promise to increase Nigeria’s petroleum processing to 4 million barrel per day.
“Your administration already has a stated ambition of taking Nigeria towards 4 million barrels of oil per day by 2030.
“Mr President, find the mad man who will deliver it.
“Find somebody who considers 1.5 million barrels unacceptable when the national ambition is 4 million.
“Find somebody who will fight oil theft, confront bureaucratic paralysis, reduce production costs, unlock dormant assets, accelerate approvals, attract billions of dollars of investment and sit on the neck of every agency standing between Nigeria and increased production.
“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 maintained that the ministerial appointment should not be considered as retirement home as he demanded capable hands in the ministry.
“We have had enough clowns.
“Nigeria is too important, our problems are too serious, and the President’s remaining time is too precious for passengers in government.
“Every minister, regulator, agency head and presidential appointee controlling a critical part of this economy should understand one thing:
“This is not a retirement home. 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.
“And if you are not crazy enough to attempt what everybody else says is impossible, we don’t want you.” He added.
Murray-Bruce said the president have demonstrated that he can take politically difficult decisions.
He charged him to take another one with the appointment of those who can also take such daring decisions for petroleum production.
“Give us another mad man whose only obsession is 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.
“Cardoso is doing his job. Ribadu is doing his job.
“Now find us two more.
“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.
“Mr President, this is a request. And it is not negotiable.” He added.