Lagos — INDICATIONS yesterday emerged that embattled Liberian President Charles Taylor may have shunned the political asylum granted him by President Olusegun Obasanjo, as he (Taylor) is insisting that he can only accept the gesture if the United Nations International Court on war crimes in Sierra Leone vacates the judgement against him.

This is even as the Council of States comprising the nation's past leaders, governors and the leadership of the National Assembly yesterday endorsed the initiatives by President Obasanjo to restore peace to war-torn Liberia.

Senior Special Assistant to the president on Public Communications, Dr Stanley Macebuh, in an interactive session with State House correspondents yesterday in Abuja, disclosed that going by the "speculated new conditions" given by Taylor that the UN should vacate its judgement against him on war crimes in Sierra Leone, the Liberian warlord was no longer keen on accepting the asylum.

The disclosure contrasted sharply with pronouncement by South African President Thabo Mbeki that Taylor, who he said has agreed to hand over next Monday to his vice, also said he would be in Nigeria same day or not.

Macabuh, however, said that the federal government was still making frantic efforts to ascertain the veracity of the reported Taylor's fresh conditions before accepting asylum in Nigeria.

"Mr Taylor, at present time, is saying that he will not be willing to leave Liberia if the international court will not withdraw the charges against him. Government has heard the rumour and I believe there are necessary processes of verifying this," he said in response to a question on when Taylor is billed to arrive Nigeria.

The Council of State, which met for about four hours at the Presidential Villa, also gave its nod to the implementation of a policy on contributory pension scheme expected to commence fully in 2006.

Borno State governor, Alhaji Ali Modu-Sheriff, told newsmen at the meeting that they were briefed on the latest developments in Liberia by President Obasanjo and Abdulsalami.

"The President intimated Council with what is happening in Liberia and why Nigeria, as the largest country in the continent, has to be there. One of the most important things we noticed today is the commendation given to the initiative of saving lives. General Abdulsalami spoke of the efforts of Mr President in bringing about peace in the continent and the Council commended him for the wonderful efforts," he said.

Three former leaders including Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Chief Ernest Shonekan, General Abdulsalami Abubakar attended yesterday's meeting. Others including state governors and Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Akinlolu Olujimi.

On the mandate of the ECOMOG troops in LIberia, the Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who accompanied Modu-Sheriff to the briefing, said the troops had the dual mandate of "maintaining peace and keeping peace" in the troubled area.

The governor however, acknowledged that the ECOMOG made up of soldiers from Nigeria and Ghana would be in Liberia on an interim basis pending the arrival of the United Nations troops.

His words: "The mandate is for both. Where there is need to maintain peace, they will maintain peace. And where they need to enforce peace, they will enforce it. The UN has, in principle, undertaken this operation. It is essentially a UN operation. In the procedure towards taking over, there is an interim period until the UN comes on board."

Giving highlights of the pension scheme, both governors said that apart from a uniform pension scheme for private and public sector, the new policy would make it mandatory for both the workers and employers to contribute to the pool.

"This time around the money would not be used for any high risk venture. It cannot be assessed until a certain age or upon retirement. Unlike before, the worker would now be sure that, on retirement, he would be collecting a quantum of money. The pension scheme will affect both the present civil servants and those yet to come on board. In this way, the burden of government will reduce. The funds would be managed in a way that the retirees will benefit more than before," governor Modu-Sheriff stated.

The President, he said, is now expected to take steps to submit the draft bill for the policy to the National Assembly for enactment into law.

According to the governor, the Council also deliberated on the National Policy on HIV/AIDS and agreed that there was an urgent need to educate the citizenry on the danger posed by the pandemic.

The other deliberation of the council, according to the governor include consideration of nominees that have been penciled down to replace outgoing INEC commissioners who have served their five-year tenure.

Meanwhile, South African President Mbeki disclosed shortly after meeting with his Kenyan counterpart Mwai Kibaki, in Pretoria, that Taylor will hand over to Moses Blah on Monday.

According to him, President Taylor called to inform him that he (Taylor) would hand over to his deputy next Monday.

President Mbeki added that Taylor would leave Liberia on the same day or the day after to go to Nigeria where he has been offered asylum.

Meanwhile, more Nigerian peace-keepers are due in Liberia today to join the first batch which arrived last Monday.

Though there was sporadic shooting in Monrovia yesterday, the arrival of the troops seem to have brought an uneasy calm across the city.

The troops were expected to move beyond the airport and into the city (Monrovia) late yesterday, though street patrols will not commence until after several days.

Already, the United Nations (UN) headqurters in New York has opened discussions with a number of countries that might contribute troops to the peace-keeping operations in Liberia.

Diplomats said India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and South Africa, among other West African countries, have indicated willingness to help.

UN troops are expected to replace the West African peacekeepers by October 1.

According to Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, Hedi Anumbi, the UN force might be similar in size to a 17,000-strong one deployed in neighbouring Sierra Leone.

The U.S. currently has two ships off the coast of Liberia with another on the way carrying about 3,000 marines on board.

Though the U.S. has pledged to be actively involved in the deployment of troops to Liberia, a spokesman for President George W. Bush insisted that Taylor must leave the country before U.S. troops join the peacekeeping forces.