Murray-Bruce Urges Tinubu to Recruit More ‘Mad Men’ to Cabinet, Demands Results
Murray-Bruce Urges Tinubu to Recruit More ‘Mad Men’ to Cabinet, Demands Results
Former Bayelsa East Senator and businessman, Ben Murray-Bruce, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to inject more bold, unconventional and results-oriented individuals into his administration, arguing that Nigeria’s enormous economic and human potential requires public officials who are prepared to challenge established systems and deliver measurable results.
Murray-Bruce said Nigeria needs what he described as more “mad men” in government, explaining that the expression refers not to recklessness but to courageous public servants willing to question ineffective traditions, confront powerful interests and take difficult decisions in the national interest.
The former senator made the remarks while assessing the Tinubu administration and the challenges confronting Nigeria, stressing that supporting a government should not translate into sycophancy or an unwillingness to point out areas requiring urgent improvement.
According to him, President Tinubu needs people around him who can speak uncomfortable truths and focus more on outcomes than political convenience.
Murray-Bruce argued that Nigeria has spent decades developing policies, constituting committees and commissioning reports, but the major challenge remains translating plans into concrete results that improve the lives of citizens.
He maintained that ministers, agency heads and other senior government officials should be given specific targets, sufficient authority and clear deadlines, after which their performance should be objectively assessed.
Cardoso, Ribadu Cited as Examples
Murray-Bruce identified Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Olayemi Cardoso and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu as examples of the kind of determined officials he believes should have a stronger presence within the administration.
While acknowledging that Nigerians may disagree with some Central Bank policies, he argued that the institution has experienced significant changes under Cardoso, particularly in its emphasis on monetary discipline and credibility.
He also praised Ribadu’s approach to national security, saying that although Nigeria continues to confront serious security challenges, there has been greater coordination and strategic direction within the country’s security architecture.
However, Murray-Bruce maintained that having only a few officials demonstrating such determination would not be enough for a country with a population exceeding 200 million.
Petroleum Sector Needs Radical Approach
One sector Murray-Bruce singled out for urgent intervention is Nigeria’s petroleum industry.
Despite possessing significant crude oil reserves and decades of experience in the oil industry, Nigeria has historically struggled to maximise the economic benefits of its resources, particularly in domestic refining.
Murray-Bruce argued that Nigeria should no longer accept a system where an oil-producing nation exports crude while depending substantially on refined petroleum products from elsewhere.
He therefore urged the Tinubu administration to make the effective operation of the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries a major national priority.
For years, Nigerians have heard discussions about turnaround maintenance, technical reviews, contractors, deadlines and billions of naira committed to government-owned refineries. Murray-Bruce said the ultimate measurement of success should be straightforward: the refineries must produce petroleum products commercially and reliably.
He suggested that the Federal Government should be prepared to consider world-class technical partnerships, private capital, restructuring or concession arrangements where necessary, provided such options can make the refineries commercially productive.
Murray-Bruce Sets Ambitious Refining Target
Murray-Bruce also pointed to the 650,000-barrel-per-day nameplate capacity of the Dangote Refinery as evidence of what large-scale refining investment can achieve in Nigeria.
He challenged the Federal Government to pursue a target under which the three government-owned refineries could collectively achieve reliable throughput equivalent to at least half of that capacity — approximately 325,000 barrels per day — before aiming even higher.
According to him, Nigeria should ultimately aspire not merely to meet domestic petroleum demand but to become a major refining centre capable of exporting petroleum products across Africa.
Four Million Barrels Per Day Target
The former senator also called for stronger leadership in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector, particularly as the country pursues its ambition of producing four million barrels of crude oil per day by 2030.
He argued that whoever is entrusted with driving that objective must be willing to challenge underperformance, identify obstacles affecting production and demand accountability from operators and institutions responsible for delivering results.
For Murray-Bruce, production levels around 1.5 million barrels per day should not become an acceptable long-term benchmark if Nigeria genuinely intends to achieve its four-million-barrel target.
Tinubu Urged to Build Cabinet Around Performance
Beyond petroleum and security, Murray-Bruce’s intervention raises a broader question about how the Tinubu administration measures the performance of ministers and other political appointees.
His argument is that Nigeria’s development challenges require officials prepared to disrupt inefficient systems rather than simply administer them.
Such officials, he maintained, should be prepared to identify what is not working, propose practical solutions, establish timelines and accept responsibility for outcomes.
The call comes as Nigerians continue to demand stronger economic performance, improved security, employment opportunities, functioning infrastructure and more visible benefits from government reforms.
Murray-Bruce’s message ultimately centres on accountability and measurable performance: appoint capable people, give them defined objectives and authority, establish deadlines and hold them responsible for delivering.
For President Tinubu, the challenge may therefore go beyond expanding or reshuffling his cabinet. The bigger test will be ensuring that those entrusted with public responsibility are judged by the results they produce rather than their political connections or proximity to power.
As Nigeria approaches another critical phase ahead of the 2027 general election, the performance of the administration and its ability to translate reforms into improvements Nigerians can see and feel are likely to remain important issues in the national political conversation.
