Jonathan sacks nine ministers

President Goodluck Jonathan has reshuffled his cabinet, dropping nine ministers. The ministers affected are those of Ruqayat Rufai (Education); Zainab Kunchi (Power, [state]); Buka Tijani (Agriculture [state]), Shamsudeen Usman (National Planning; Ita Okon (science and technology); Olugbenga Ashiru (foreign affairs); Ama Pepple (lands) and Hadiza Mailafia (environment).

It is not yet clear the criteria used in sacking the nine ministers as a source in the Villa confided in THE CITIZEN that it might not be unconnected with the recent rift in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as some of the dropped ministers were personally praised by President Jonathan during his administration's scorecard ceremony during the Democracy Day celebration.

There has been mounting pressures on the President to reshuffle his cabinet over what critics say has largely failed to deliver services to the Nigerian people