President Goodluck Jonathan Promises to Rid the Country of Tribalism

President Goodluck Jonathan, has promised to build a Nigeria where everywhere will be home for every Nigerian citizen, irrespective of tribe, religion or state of origin if he was voted into power during April elections.

Dr. Jonathan, who made the promise in Owerri while flagging off the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, campaign in Imo State, also warned that there would be unimaginable crisis if youths were not adequately provided for in the next 10 years.

"We stand for the unity of this country. We are going to run a government where we will not discriminate against anybody, irrespective of your tongue, religion, nationality or your place of birth," Jonathan said.

He also expressed hope that his administration would create a Nigeria where every citizen will have equal rights and justice, stressing that the issue of marginalization would be removed in the country.

"We hope to work with you to recreate the consciousness and awareness that any son or daughter of Nigeria, from Owerri to Enugu, Ibadan, Katsina or Maiduguri, will have equal rights in Nigeria. You will get whatever you deserve, whatever you are qualified to get and nobody will discriminate against you. That is our aspiration. That is our commitment," the President said.

He also disclosed that the federal government had a number of infrastructural development projects going on in Imo State, adding that government would continue with it until the entire nation was transformed.

"We have a nation of about 150 million. Seventy percent of this figure are people under the age of 30 and 50 percent of them are very young people, under the age of 19. So, we must prepare for this coming generation of youths, otherwise in the next 10 years, we will have crisis on our hands," Jonathan said.

It was the considered view of the President that "to do this, the nation must industrialize and we must encourage commercial agriculture, and that is why we are emphasizing on power generation."

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Seventeen Killed in Fresh Plateau Violence

Mercenaries, who on Monday threatened to invade Jos, Plateau State capital, struck in the early hours of Tuesday in Bere village of Barkin Ladi Local Government of Plateau North Senatorial District.

Sixteen villagers fell in an attack which eyewitnesses told Daily Independent involved over 200 mercenaries suspected to be hired.

It was wailing and shedding of tears at the Local Government headquarters in Kwol on Tuesday morning, as the council chairman, councillors and supporting staff, were seen rushing survivors to different hospitals in the area for emergency treatment,

The victims sustained gun shot wounds as a result of the attack by the night marauders.

Those who were in critical condition, according to Daily Independent findings, were brought to Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for treatment.

Council Chairman, Dr. Fom Dakwak, in a press statement, stated that "Bere in Fan District of Barkin Ladi Local Government area, a border village with Mangu LGA, was attacked at 1.a.m today (Tuesday).

"Sixteen people were killed and many others were injured. One of the killers, who is a Fulani man, was also gunned down'".

Following the development, crack security teams of soldiers from the Joint Security Task Force (JTF) and Police were deployed to strategic locations within Jos, on the orders of the JTF Chairman, Brigadier General Hassan Umaru, and the Plateau State Commissioner of Police (CP), Abdulraman Akaino.

When Daily Independent went round Jos on Tuesday afternoon, business activities were going on smoothly, although the atmosphere was tense.

Heavily armed Army personnel and anti-riot Mobile policemen were seen manning the city centre and keeping eyes on those plying the streets.

When contacted, Commissioner for Information, Gregory Nyelong, could not be reached. He was said to be in a meeting at Governor Jonah Jang's Du country home in Jos South Local Government Area.

Daily Independent further gathered that the Permanent Secretary (Security) in the state's Cabinet Office, was immediately summoned by Jang to the scene of the incident who furnished him with details of the attack.

It would be recalled that Jang had recently announced that his government had secured Presidency approval to set up a new security outfit, Operation Rainbow, to take care of the reoccurring skirmishes in local communities in the state.

Violence in the state had lingered since 2001 when the first Jos ethno-religious crisis broke out.

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Super Eagles off to America for Green Bowl Football tournament

The senior national team, Super Eagles will on Wednesday fly out to the United States of America to take part in this year's United States' President's Holiday Celebration Soccer Tournament, otherwise known as the Green Bowl Soccer event.

A team of 20 players and eight officials led by the Super Eagles' Head Coach, Samson Siasia will fly from Abuja to Lagos in the afternoon before connecting a Delta Airline flight from Lagos to Dallas, taking off at 10.25pm. The delegation will touch down in Dallas, Texas at 10am on Thursday (4pm Nigeria time).

Tournament organisers say the Super Eagles will trade tackles with Mexico at the Cotton Bowl Soccer Stadium in Dallas at 7pm on Saturday (1am, Sunday in Nigeria), after Costa Rica and Panama would have played the tournament's first match.

The double headers continue on Sunday with the Losers' Final at 4.30pm (Dallas time) and the Final Match at 7pm (1am, Monday in Nigeria).

The Nigeria delegation will stay at the Double Tree Hotel, Dallas.

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Portsmouth coach Ian Woan tags Nwankwo Kanu a magician

Nwankwo Kanu came on over the weekend and scored the winner in Portsmouth's 1-0 win over Barnsley at Fratton Park on Saturday and first-team coach Ian Woan has tagged the former Nigeria captain, Nwankwo Kanu as a magician.

"There were a few raised eyebrows from the fans (when we brought him on), but you want your subs to make an impact. He's an absolute magician. You see him day in, day out on the training pitch and some of the things he does with the ball are phenomenal. He's a top, top professional given where he has played and the enthusiasm he gives us every week in training," the coach said.

Woan added: "His legs can't carry him for 90 minutes sometimes now. But in a game that is crying out for someone to get hold of it, you throw the big fella on and he is a magician.

"You can't get the ball off him. People get to the stage where they don't want to go and challenge him. He embarrasses you. The whole stand starts cheering, he does the step-overs - you know they're coming but you can't do anything about it. We just didn't have that and he was perfect for the situation," Woan stated.

On picking up a second straight clean sheet, Woan added: "I think it's a major plus for us. We have struggled to keep clean sheets.

"The back-line in the last two games has been the same. That has made a big difference. We've done a lot of work with them on the training field. Continuity is a big thing with the back four. You need to know what everyone is doing. When you pick the same back four, it makes a big difference to them."

However, Kanu, while down playing the coach's compliments, stressed that his goal was to always give his best for the team.

"I'm happy with what he (Woan) said about me but I'm just doing the job I am being paid to do," Kanu said over the phone on Sunday.

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Nigerians killed in Libyan Protests

Dozens of Nigerians are among hundreds killed in the on-going protests in Libya, according to a U.S.-based rights group.

Human Rights Watch reported that Libyan government's crackdown on anti-government protesters in the eastern part of the country has led to the death of at least 200 people in five days of unrest.

The group said Nigerians and other nationals died when Libyan security forces fired on protesters in the second largest city of Benghazi, where crowds gathered for the funerals of other activists.

Arab media reports say at least 15 protesters were killed in Saturday's shootings, which some residents described as a "massacre."

Witnesses say snipers opened fire after the mourners tried to storm a military building and prison where some Nigerians were detained.

The demonstrations have been largely confined to Benghazi and other cities in eastern Libya since they began last Tuesday.

They represent an unprecedented challenge to the four-decade rule of Libyan leader, Moammar Gadhafi, whose supporters have staged small rallies in the capital, Tripoli, in recent days.

The U.S. State Department has issued a warning to Americans to stay away from eastern Libya, saying more demonstrations and violent incidents are possible in the coming days. It also said even peaceful protests can quickly become unruly and foreigners "could become a target of harassment or worse."

Libyan authorities have also cut off Internet services in the country, denying cyber activists, a key tool to mobilise demonstrators.

There was no independent confirmation of Libyan witnesses' accounts of the violence, as the government has barred local and foreign journalists from covering the unrest.

British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, issued a statement urging Libya to stop using force against demonstrators, even as he said the violence is "clearly unacceptable and horrifying."

He also expressed concern about Libyan restrictions on media access.

Gadhafi has tried to defuse the protests by doubling the salaries of state employees and releasing 110 suspected Islamic militants.

He took power in a 1969 coup and has built his rule on a cult of personality and a network of family and tribal alliances. Speaking to Daily Independent on telephone, spokeman of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Daniel Agwu, neither confirmed nor denied the report, saying only the Minister, Odein Ajumogobia, can speak on the matter.

Attempt to reach the Minister were usuccessful. However, a Ministry official that pleaded anonimity said they were yet to get such report from the Nigerian embassy in Tripoli.

Daily Indepenent

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