A number of influential ministers appeared to be tensed up on Tuesday following indications that President Goodluck Jonathan appears set to relieve some of them of their positions.

Sources in the polity told Nigerian Tribune that no fewer than five serving ministers may get the boot shortly, just as the President prepares to swear in 11 newly confirmed ministers.

Last week, the Senate confirmed the nomination of 11 ministerial nominees who were screened by the lawmakers.

Those confirmed by the Senate include the former National Security Adviser(NSA), General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau (Rtd, Zamfara); former Nigerian Ambassador to Ghana, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro (Lagos); former Adamawa State governor, Boni Haruna (Adamawa); former Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Honourable Mohammed Wakil (Borno); Nigerian Ambassador to China, Ambassador Aminu Wali (Kano), Mrs Akon Etim

Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom); Mrs Laurentia Labaran Mallam (Kaduna), Alhajk AbdulJelili Oyewale Adesiyan (Osun), Dr T. W Danagogo (Rivers), Dr Khaliru Alhassan (Sokoto), and Hajia Asabe Asmau Ahmed (Niger).

Sources said that the President has made up his mind to clear out those considered controversial in the cabinet and start the final leg of his administration on a stronger note.

It was confirmed that some of the affected ministers embarked on trips to the homes of influential Nigerians at the weekend, with many of them pleading with some statesmen to prevail on President Jonathan to save them from the hammer this time.

A source said: “A number of the ministers are considered as liabilities right now. Some of them cannot provide the necessary electoral value as 2015 approaches, while some have also failed to perform to the peak of their ability.

“If you are not a politician, it can be understandable; but when you also refuse to perform well as a technocrat in government, its double tragedy for the government.”

It was also confirmed that while some of the ministers slated for sack have been in the cabinet since April 2010, when Jonathan appointed his first set of ministers, others joined the cabinet after the 2011 elections.

•Credit (except for photo of President Jonathan): Nigerian Tribune.

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