Nigeria president fires nine ministers

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has fired nine ministers in a major shake-up of the cabinet amid tensions within the ruling party.

Information Minister Labaran Maku told journalists on Wednesday that Jonathan had made the decision to “refocus his government, to inject in fresh blood to achieve greater service delivery to the people of Nigeria.”

“As the president said, government is retooled from time to time to bring a new lease of life to an administration.”

“It is a normal process, and the president has given them the assurance that they will continue to be useful to this administration and to this country,” he added.

Those fired included ministers of foreign affairs, education, housing, environment, science and technology, defense, agriculture, power and the national planning.

No specific reason has been given for the changes.

The reshuffle came two weeks after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and seven governors formed a coalition within the ruling People’s Democratic Party, calling themselves the new PDP.

Jonathan was reelected in the 2011 presidential election.

Nigeria’s political groups are preparing for elections in 2015.