Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua on Wednesday in Abuja, the capital, swore in 16 new ministers and re- assigned some old ones, bringing to 37 the number of cabinet members in the government.
Among the new ministers is Rilwanu Lukman, who was OPEC president for eight consecutive years. Lukman was assigned the petroleum minister.
Also sworn in was Dora Akunyili, who had waged a war against fake and adulterated drugs and foods in the country since 2001, winning international acclaim and awards.
Akunyili was assigned the minister of information and communication.
President Yar'Adua is expected to swear in more ministers next week after they had been screened by the Senate and confirmed within the week.
Swearing in the ministers in Abuja, Yar'Adua welcomed them to the challenges that lay ahead of government and the new dispensation in the offing.
He said the new dispensation "scrupulously demands pro-action, establishes definitive performance benchmarks, and insists on effective service delivery, strict adherence to due process, and unwavering focus on the policy objectives of this administration as encapsulated in the Seven-Point Agenda.
The president admonished the ministers to see their appointment as a sacred call to national service and not an opportunity for self aggrandizement or the pursuit of narrow, selfish interests.
"The task of nation building and national transformation calls for honesty of purpose, sincerity, consummate diligence, and unmediated commitment to the national cause," he said.
He reiterated government's total abhorrence of corruption in all its ramifications and its insistence on absolute compliance with established rules, regulations and procedures in the conduct of government business.
"Any proven case of corrupt practices or non-conformity with the rule of law and constitutionality will be visited with the strictest sanctions," he stressed.
"In this period of stark economic realities at home and unprecedented global economic challenges, we all must begin to think out of the box, recommit to the ideal of prudent and judicious application of resources, and stay faithful to the principles of value for money, transparency, accountability, and the rule of law," Yar'Adua said.
He assured the ministers of his full confidence, unstinting support, and guidance at all times.
"I expect that this council will function as a compact, effective, efficient, and focused team of patriots committed to the repositioning and transformation of our nation," he said.