The recent call by the former governor of the central bank of Nigeria Mallam Sanusi for the President to appoint a substantive petroleum minister to oversee the affairs of the oil ministry, has continued to generate mixed feelings across the country.

 

This is coming as a result of several calls by the national assembly to audit the petroleum ministry and the NNPC Limited, as a result of inaccurate oil production and consumption volume in the country.

 

Statistically speaking, the year 2011 was the last time Nigeria had a substantive petroleum minister in the person of Diezani Alison-Madueke during the Good luck Jonathan era in the last twelve years.

 

The eight years rule of Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2023 as the petroleum minister according to different pressure groups including SERAP, has done more harm than good to the Nigerian petroleum industry.

 

Some rights activists and legal practitioners tow the line of the former CBN governor despite no constitutional backing to the appointment.

  

On the positive effect of a substantive petroleum minister appointment by president Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the rights activists says it will amount to having round peg in a round hole.

 

Although, if Nigerians would want to take home something from the former CBN governor,s remark, it will definitely be that the situation in 2015 under the Jonathan,s administration where petrol pump price was N87 per liter with a petroleum minister, compared to the N650 under the Tinubu,s administration is hitting hard on Nigerians.

 

This is also not denying the fact that Nigerians are hoping for a quick fix economy, with or without a substantive petroleum minister to alleviate their suffering.