Nigeria President Completes Cabinet Reshuffle

Many Nigerians hope President Umaru Yar`Adua will now implement the widespread reforms he promised when he was elected 19 months ago.

Nigeria's president on Tuesday swore in four more members to his cabinet, including the finance minister, completing his reshuffle of the power structure.

Many Nigerians hope President Umaru Yar'Adua -- whose lethargic governance has earned him the nickname "Baba Go-Slow" -- will now implement the widespread reforms he promised when he was elected 19 months ago.

Yar'Adua started the reshuffle in August by replacing his military chiefs, which some saw as a sign that he was throwing off the influence of his predecessor Olusegun Obasanjo.

"I have the confidence that the four of you will do your best to contribute to ensure that we work towards the accomplishment of our vision," Yar'Adua said after the ceremony.

The president appointed Mansur Muhtar of the African Development Bank as finance minister.

Analysts welcomed the choice, saying Muhtar was a well respected director general in the Debt Management Office under the Obasanjo administration.

"I think he's an excellent choice. He's got the technical knowledge and experience that's necessary for the job," said Obadiah Mailafia, head of Nigeria's Centre for Policy and Economic Research.

Muhtar was one of the key negotiators in obtaining Nigeria's debt agreement with the Paris Club of rich creditor nations in 2005, the first African nation to reach such a deal.

The new finance minister will face several challenges in his first few months, including passing the 2009 budget, stabilising the naira currency and minimising the economic fallout from falling global oil demand.

Muhtar replaces Shamsuddeen Usman, who was appointed head of the National Planning Commission last week.

NIGER DELTA

Yar'Adua picked Ufot Ekaette, former secretary to the federal government under Obasanjo, to head the newly created Niger Delta Ministry.

Ekaette, from southern Akwa Ibom state in the delta, will be responsible for improving security and development in the region, home to Africa's biggest oil and gas industry.

Attacks on oil industry facilities and kidnappings for ransom are frequent and have cut Nigeria's oil output by a fifth over the past three years, to around 2 million barrels per day.

Nigeria's most prominent militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, said it was "not impressed" by Yar'Adua's choice for minister.

"Ufot Ekaette did not bring about any significant change when he was secretary to the government of the federation and we doubt he can do any better now," the group's spokesman, who uses the pseudonym Jomo Gbomo, told Reuters in an e-mail.

MEND said it would not negotiate until the government releases Henry Okah, the group's suspected leader who is on trial for gun-running and treason in the central city of Jos.

Militant attacks have declined sharply since MEND declared a ceasefire in September.

Yar'Adua also swore in Rilwan Babalola as power minister and Achike Udenwa to head commerce and industry.