 Shagari retained his ministry in a major cabinet shake-up in July 2005.In September 2005, Obasanjo wrote a commendation letter to Shagari in which he said minister had demonstrated humility, vision and patriotism in ensuring that communities across the country gained potable water.In October 2005 Shagari accepted a free-aid offer from China to help Nigeria to drill 598 boreholes in Abuja and 18 states.