Posted by By LUCKY NWANKWERE, Abuja on
Former Liberian President, Mr. Charles Taylor, who, in the last two years, has been on asylum in Nigeria, may be extradited to his country any moment from now to face charges against him, both in his country and at the United Nations Tribunal on Sierra Leone.
Former Liberian President, Mr. Charles Taylor, who, in the last two years, has been on asylum in Nigeria, may be extradited to his country any moment from now to face charges against him, both in his country and at the United Nations Tribunal on Sierra Leone.
This is sequel to the formal opening of discussion on the issue between the Federal Government and the newly installed democratically elected government of President Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson.
The Federal Executive Council, which held its weekly meeting in Abuja Wednesday under the chairmanship of President Olusegun Obasanjo, was extensively briefed on the discussion between the leaders of both countries on the issue.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Frank Nweke Jnr, who briefed State House correspondents on the matter, confirmed the discussion between officials of both countries on the issue, but refused to provide details.
Pressed for more information, the minister told newsmen: 'Both presidents are still discussing", promising to provide more details as events unfold in respect of the matter, which sources said, had already been concluded.
Last week, while on his way to Ota, President Obasanjo and Taylor held a closed-door meeting at the Presidential Lounge of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. The former Liberian president was accompanied on that trip by the Cross River State governor, Mr. Donald Duke and the meeting was believed to be connected with the plan to hand him over to his home government.
Before his arrival in the country, Taylor had been indicted by the United Nations International Crimes Tribunal on Sierra Leone for war crimes and declared wanted. The United States government had requested Nigeria to hand him over to the world tribunal to face the charges.
President Obasanjo turned down the request, arguing that Taylor's presence in Nigeria was based on a negotiated agreement reached between Nigeria and the international community as a condition for peace in the West African country. He pledged, however, that as soon as a democratically elected government was in place in Liberia, Nigeria would not hesitate to hand Taylor over to it if the government made such a request.
The Federal Executive Council was also briefed of Liberia's request for Nigeria's technical assistance for the reconstruction of its infrastructure damaged during the long drawn war in the country and for implementation of its reform programme.
As a direct response to that request, government had dispatched the Minister of State for Finance, Mrs. Nenadi Usman and the Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals, Hajia Amina Ibrahim to Liberia to assist the authorities with preliminary works on the programmes.
Liberia had equally asked for the reactivation of the Nigeria/Liberia Joint Commission to aid the restoration of peace, order and normalcy in that country.