Mexico City, Mexico – President Felipe Calderon has named his former top health official, Jose Angel Cordova, as education secretary replacing Alonso Lujambio.

"In place of Alonso Lujambio, I have decided to name Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos as the new public education secretary," the president said at a press conference.

Calderon wished Lujambio a "very quick recovery" from the cancer with which he has been diagnosed, and also "much success" in his bid for a Senate seat.

Speaking about Cordova, the president called him one of the best health secretaries in the current government. He recalled that Cordova was the one who coordinated efforts to deal with the AH1N1 flu virus epidemic.

Cordova resigned his post in September last year to run first for the Guanajuato state government, and later for the Senate. Neither campaign was successful.

Calderon expressed his "great happiness" at having Cordova "back in the Cabinet...giving his all for Mexico as he has always done."

He said that the official has "the academic, professional and personal credentials, as well as the experience, to take charge of the office of education secretary."

The president entrusted Cordova with the "follow-up and continuity of the government’s education agenda" to transform the country basically through an improvement in the quality of education.