ABUJA Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, facing widespread criticism of the quality of his cabinet and the performance of the economy, on Tuesday sacked 10 of his 49 ministers.

No key ministers in the economic and finance sectors were dropped, and political analysts said the list of nominees to replace the 10 would disappoint those who had looked forward to a radical shakeup of the nearly two-year-old government.

Those dropped in the reshuffle, announced in a statement by Obasanjo's spokesman, included health minister Tim Menakaya, education minister Tunde Adeniran, police affairs minister David Jemibewon and sports minister Damisi Sango.

Also dropped were agriculture minister Hassan Adamu, culture and tourism minister Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas, environment minister Sani Zango Daura, junior women and youth affairs minister Bekky Igwe, and minister in charge of the federal capital territory Ibrahim Bunu.

The statement said Obasanjo held a farewell breakfast on Tuesday in the presidential villa in Abuja for the dropped ministers. "President Obasanjo thanked them for their service to the nation," it said.

The president of the Senate, Nigeria's Upper House, said later he had received a list of nominees to replace the outgoing ministers. Anyim Pius Anyim said the Senate, whose approval is needed, was expected to begin screening the nominees on Wednesday.

The list did not name those widely expected to feature in a new cabinet lineup, but included two Obasanjo advisers, Alphonsus Nwosu and Kolawole Babalola, and member of the Parliament Musa Ilayo.

The reshuffle had given the president a chance "to do away with many of his ministers whose political ambitions distracted them from their primary responsibilities," one analyst said in Lagos.

Obasanjo has been attacked over the quality and performance of his ministers and special advisers, blamed largely for the government's inability to lead the way to an economic recovery in Africa's most populous nation and a major oil producer.

The sports minister came in for strong criticism over Nigeria's poor performance in recent major sporting tournaments.

Obasanjo himself openly chided the health minister for the declining state of public hospitals, which pushed doctors into striking for 11 weeks to back their demands for better working conditions.

The cabinet was appointed shortly after the president took office in may 1999. Nearly halfway through the government's four-year mandate, the majority of Nigerians say they have yet to see tangible dividends from the democracy that followed 15 years of military dictatorship.

Nigeria's earnings from its mainstay oil exports have risen dramatically since early last year, but overall the economy remains largely stagnant.

(Reuter)