[allAfrica.com] [Durham-Sanramon.org] Taylor - Presidency Explains Asylum Terms Vanguard (Lagos) NEWS August 24, 2003 Posted to the web August 25, 2003 By Wale Akinola THE presidency weekend shed more light on the terms of the asylum granted former Liberian President, Mr. Charles Taylor, by the Federal Government when it explained that "the condition precedent to his leaving Liberia is to come here and leave Nigeria safely thereafter." The presidency also explained why it could not accede to the suggestion that a state of emergency be declared in Delta State to end the hostilities by Ijaw and Itsekiri militant youths in Warri. The militant groups in the oil rich city agreed to a ceasefire last Thursday after almost one week of fighting which left scores of people dead and several houses razed. The presidency's assurance of security for the former Liberian president in the spirit of keeping to the terms of the asylum for Taylor, whose extradition is being sought by the UN backed court to answer for war crimes in Sierra Leone, came amid the report that security had again been beefed up by the police and other plain clothes security agents in Calabar, Cross River state, where the erstwhile warlord is spending his exile. The security step up, Sunday Vanguard sources claimed, may not be unconnected with what was described as the displeasure of the people of the city over Taylor's presence in their midst. "The anger is fueled by reports that the ex-president has chosen to live splendour in the city by importing his state-of-the-art cars, furniture, cooking utensils, beddings and toiletries", a source said. Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Public Affairs, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, who explained the presidency's position on Taylor's asylum in Lagos, said the president was committed to giving the former Liberian president adequate security. The presidential assistant had been asked if the asylum term specified the duration within which Taylor would be on exile in Nigeria. His words: "The condition precedent to his leaving Liberia is to come here and leave Nigeria safely thereafter. As long as the government committed itself to that cause, and Mr President is a man of his words, we would keep to the terms". Hoping that Taylor would keep his own side of the terms by doing nothing that will compromise Nigeria's security and influence negatively the peace process in Liberia, Fani-Kayode said: "It (the asylum) was a decision that was taken, not just by Nigeria even though Nigeria is where he is staying, but also by the whole of ECOWAS countries and our brothers from African Union that it was better for us to ease him out, bring him here, give him sanctuary and get from him, in return, a cessation of hostilities in Liberia". The Special Assistant to the president emphasised that Nigeria's role in ending the Liberian crisis has shored up the nation's image. "It was a wise decision, it was the only decision that could have been taken in the situation that we found ourselves in and I think that Nigeria is now reaping the fruits and the benefits of that wise decision simply because everybody is looking up to us and thanking us for what we did, particularly the Liberian people", he stated. Femi Fani-Kayode continued: "Without Taylor being eased out and brought to Nigeria and granted asylum here, we would have continued to have bloodshed in Liberia today. The Americans themselves could not go in there because it was too hot for them. But the people that dared to go in there, and I am proud to be a Nigerian, I am proud of our army, I am proud of our security agents, were Nigerian troops, Nigerian soldiers and Nigerian boys who dared every faction and went in there and said we will have peace in this country". "The price we had to pay for that was to bring this man (Taylor) out, and to bring him to Nigeria and keep him here. It was a small price to pay. It has worked and everybody is thanking us. After we have done that, the Americans themselves have not gone in, after the battle has been over and the victory has been won. It is a victory for Nigeria", he pointed out. Explaining why the Federal Government ignored the option of declaration of a state of emergency in Delta state to resolve the Warri crisis, the presidential assistant stressed that such was capable of affecting the rights of the people. Said Fani-Kayode: "We are certainly in a situation to police the place effectively. But that would affect the rights and the civil liberties of the people in that area. We are not in a state of war, this is not an unreasonable government. Therefore, we ought to be guided by the rule of law in all that we do, we have to be guided by the democratic spirit". 'What I am saying is that we will not go down the avenue of being reactionary or repressive about what the people down there are doing. What we have been doing in the last few years is to sensitise and say, 'okay, we know that you have a problem, tell us what you want us to do, let us join hands and work together to solve the problem you are facing, let us come with some kind of negotiated settlement so that you will not feel you are being cheated.' That is precisely what the Federal Government should do and that is what we are trying to do", he maintained. He explained: "At least, we are trying to do our best but the avenue of locking people up, declaring a state of emergency and so on and so forth, this government would not be provoked to do so".   =============================================================================   Copyright © 2003 Vanguard. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). =============================================================================