Former Bayelsa East Senator, Ben Murray-Bruce, has urged President Bola Tinubu to appoint more people he described as ‘mad men’ into his administration, saying Nigeria needs officials bold enough to challenge entrenched interests and confront a broken system.
Murray-Bruce, in a statement directed at the President, said his support for the administration would not stop him from offering constructive criticism, stressing that genuine support should not amount to sycophancy.
‘Mr President, I write this as a supporter of your administration and as a Nigerian who wants you to succeed. But support must never become sycophancy,’ he said.
He added that supporters sometimes had a duty to tell the President what those around him might be unwilling or afraid to say.
According to the former senator, his use of the term ‘mad men’ referred to men and women who were prepared to challenge the status quo, confront powerful interests, reject mediocrity and pursue results even at the risk of becoming unpopular.
‘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,’ he said.
‘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.’
Murray-Bruce said Nigeria needed officials who were ‘obsessed with results’ and willing to sacrifice their popularity in Abuja if necessary to deliver for the country.
He cited Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, and National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, as examples of the kind of officials he believed Tinubu needed more of in his government.
‘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,’ he said.
On Ribadu, Murray-Bruce commended what he described as the NSA’s seriousness, coordination and strategic direction in the country’s security architecture.
‘Ribadu is prepared to work, confront problems and take responsibility. That is another mad man,’ he said.
However, he argued that two such officials were insufficient for a country of more than 200 million people.
‘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,’ he said.
The former senator specifically called on Tinubu to make the rehabilitation and commercially viable operation of the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries a major priority of his administration.
‘Mr President, make the rehabilitation and commercially viable operation of the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries a national obsession,’ he said.
Murray-Bruce said Nigerians had heard enough explanations about turnaround maintenance, contractors, technical reviews, committees and timelines, insisting that the ultimate measure of success should be whether the refineries actually produce petroleum products.
‘And please, no more excuses. Nigerians have heard enough explanations about turnaround maintenance, contractors, technical reviews, committees, timelines and billions spent. We want products coming out of those refineries,’ he said.
He urged the Federal Government to consider alternative ownership and operational arrangements if necessary, including partnerships with technical operators, private investment, restructuring or concessions.