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(Recast)Nigerian president names eight new ministers ahead of general elections

Xinhua, March 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday announced the appointment of eight new ministers in line with government's ongoing transformation agenda in the West African country.

The new ministerial appointees were assigned portfolios by the president, shortly before the commencement of the weekly council meeting in the Nigerian capital Abuja.

Among the newly appointed ministers was Musiliu Obanikoro, one of seven ministers who resigned from the cabinet last year to pursue a governorship ambition in his home state of Lagos, the commercial hub of Nigeria.

Obanikoro, who was unsuccessful in his bid to be the governorship candidate of the Nigerian ruling party in Lagos State, was appointed the new minister of state for foreign affairs.

He had earlier served in the present administration in Nigeria as minister of state for defense and ambassador of Nigeria to Ghana.

The Nigerian president also appointed Khaliru Alhassan, who had been acting as supervising minister of health, as the substantive head of the ministry.

Last week, the Nigerian senate had ratified the ministerial nominees and cleared them for appointment as enshrined in the constitution of the West African country.

The Nigerian leader urged the new public servants to prove their mettle and perform to the best of their ability, despite that they joined the cabinet only few weeks to the end of the present administration in the country.

Nigeria's rescheduled presidential and national assembly elections will be held on March 28, while the governorship and state congresses elections, on April 11.

The elections were previously set on Feb. 14 and Feb. 28 respectively. The country announced on Feb. 7 a six-week postponement to the elections citing fears over security and the Boko Haram insurgency. Endi