Ousted Haitian president to arrive in Nigeria for asylum next week

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, March 24, 2004

Ousted Haitian president to arrive in Nigeria for asylum next week

Nigerian Justice Minister Akin Olujinmi said Tuesday that the asylum Nigeria granted to ousted Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide was in order and that he would arrive in Nigeria next week.

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Nigerian Justice Minister Akin Olujinmi said Tuesday that the asylum Nigeria granted to ousted Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide was in order and that he would arrive in Nigeria next week.

The Nigerian Presidency on Monday night announced its decision to host Aristide with presidential spokesperson Remi Oyo explaining that the decision followed a request from Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson.

Commentators have continued to criticize the move with many arguing that the asylum was one too many with the country already hosting such applications.

"In the case of Aristide, we evaluated his case and felt satisfied, so we granted the application," Olujinmi said.

He dismissed claims that the former Haitian strongman was not entitled to the asylum, stating that no corporate interest of Nigeria was being compromised by the action.

Abdul Oroh, chairman of the Human Rights Committee of Nigeria's lower house, described the asylum as a "very good humanitarian gesture."

"Aristide was overthrown by the US government against international law," he said. "They (US) installed him as head of state but refused to assist him with resources to help his people only to humiliate him when his people got angry."

Oroh said that it was not wrong to accept those in distress, noting that notable Nigerian leaders like former head of state, retired Gen. Yakubu Gowon, former Biafran warlord Odumegwu Ojukwu and former transport minister Umaru Dikko were once accepted by other countries.

Executive Secretary of Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission Bukhari Bello, who endorsed the asylum, said that his commission's opposition to asylum for former Liberian president Charles Taylor was because he had abused the rights of his people.

"Aristide was only a victim of his excesses while in power while Taylor was supposed to be standing trial at a UN tribunal for genocide and other human right abuses. So the two cases are never the same," he explained.

When he arrives sometime next week, Aristide would join Taylor and his compatriot Yormie Johnson. It was not immediately known where he will stay or for how long.

Source: Xinhua

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