WASHINGTON & ABUJA, Jan 30 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has dropped 10 ministers from his 49-member cabinet, but retained those in charge of defense, security and economic posts, a presidential spokesman said Tuesday.
Those dropped in the shakedown included Health Minister, Tim Menakaya, Education Minister Tunde Adeniran, Police Affairs Minister David Jemibewon and Sports Minister Damisi Sango.
The president's replacement nominees have yet to be confirmed by the upper house of the Nigerian Senate. According to a statement issued by the presidential spokesman, their names were sent in a sealed list to the Senate earlier in the day and are subject to confirmation this week.
"President Olusegun Obasanjo hosted a farewell breakfast today [Tuesday] for the 10 ministers who are leaving the federal executive council," the statement said.
The minister considered most likely to retain his previous portfolio was Defense Minister Theophilus Danjuma, a former chief of army staff seen as particularly close to Obasanjo and widely respected in the army.
The role of the ailing finance minister Adamu Ciroma remained unclear. The 70-year-old Ciroma is considered powerful in northern politics and is respected by the president. But he was badly injured in a car crash last year and has yet to fully return to work.
Other key ministries where performances have been criticized include the areas of commerce, communications, power and works and housing.
Reforms of the communications and power sectors are considered vital if the government is to improve the sluggish performance of the economy and the promised legislation on the two areas is now overdue.
One presidency official told the paper that the head of state had planned to streamline the cabinet and merge the ministries of water resources and water; commerce and industry; and Africa and foreign affairs.
Critics charge that Obasanjo's past cabinet was full of old-style politicians bereft of ideas and owing their places largely to financial contributions made to the president's 1999 election campaign.
In a series of articles over the weekend, Nigerian commentators criticized the performance of the previous team, dubbed by the Nigerian newspaper The Guardian as "a cabinet of mediocrities".
Many Nigerians have been highly critical of the quality and performance of Obasanjo's cabinet. The ministers were appointed shortly after the president took office in May 1999 at the end of 15 years of military rule.
Almost 20 months into his four-year term, Obasanjo is under pressure from some to produce a team capable of bringing change to the struggling country.
