On the 12th of February 2011, Hosni Mubarak stepped down as president of Egypt, after weeks of protest in Cairo and other cities. Hosni Mubarak ruled over Egypt for 30yrs but was consumed by the wave of popular protests and violence that swept through the Middle-East and North Africa, begining in late 2010 ( Arab Spring).

Following the removal from office of Hosni Mubarak, Egypt went through a fairly short transition programme that culminated in a democratic election that saw the coming to power of Egypt's first freely elected president, Mohammed Morsi, about a year ago (precisely on June 24, 2012)

Ironically, one year down the line, Egypt has gone full circle. The same popular protests that swept Hosni Mubarak out of power about 2yrs ago has now also swept Mohammed Morsi away. This same Mohammed Morsi and his party, the Muslim Brotherhood, have been in opposition for decades promising heaven on earth if allowed to rule.

So what has changed for Egypt? While Egypt is changing its leaders like wrapper, the problems of the country (spiralling economic crisis and shortages in fuel) have remained CONSTANT.

Was it even practicable for Mohammed Morsi and his team to solve all the problems in just about a year, even with the best of efforts and intentions? How will the next leader cope with this penchant for people to pour into the streets at the slightest unfulfilled expectations? Can Egypt make progress with this high level of flip-flops and unpredictability? Where is the place of planning, sustenance and consolidation?

What are the lessons from the experience in Egypt? For me, the popular sayings- 'all that glitters is not gold' and 'talk is cheap'- readily comes to mind.

Lesson Number One: Nigerians should never allow terrorists to win political power. Its better imagined what Gen Ayatolla Morsi Buharam would do to Nigerians if he acquires political power.

An important lesson is "Don't promise what you cannot fulfill" or "Don't promise one thing and do something different".

It's unfortunate Nigerians don't know the power they have. #justsaying

1).Nigeria_________________Oga Morsi..you Bleep up big time.!.How you come allow your people chase you out like chicken,after winning a majority in the last election,adjudged to be free and fair?

Morsi_____________________Honestly.am so confused.If only we have Yorubas,Hausas,Igbos and some other few tribes in Egypt..am sure I will still be in power by now.They would have formed some powerful pressure groups that would have saved my political life.(i.e youths earnestly ask for Morsi).

2).Nigeria__________________But na you turn ya self into baba go slow..as soon as you became the president,you for immediately divide Egypt into 6 geo- political zones and put ya men as the elders of those zone..They will immediately start to dey make noise inside television and radio plus newspaper say,you be the best president ever.You go now sponsor them go America and London for international conferences.They then start to fight all the opposition for you.Haba Oga Morsi..since all these years you never read Nicole Machiavelli ne?

Morsi______________________My brother..wallahi,me i was being guided by a honest approach to issues.Trying to give Egypt the best.

3).Nigeria___________________My friend.You should blame your naivety.You should have sought advice from me.Immediately a president is sworn in nigeria,he after 6 months into his 1st term,will start to dey prepare for his 2nd term.Which means for the entire 2 terms,the nigerian president is only politicking which takes away the minds of Nigerians from critical issues and ensure that the president doesn't get disturbed.

Morsi_______________________But I tried to placate the military and bring them on board.

4).Nigeria_____________________You see ya sef..Which kind military you dey placate.No be them push you commot.Na so them dey placate military.No be ya village man you for give minister for Defence?.Your brother na him go become chief of army staff..Your cousin,chairman joint chief of staffs...and for every month you go dey fill them pockets with fine fine amount of dollars..if to say you play am like this..nobody go touch you...But e be like say you ma,you dey stingy small...it doesn't make sense for you to be in control of the treasury and people come trowey you commot from office like goat!

Morsi__________________________despite all,I though America and UK go support democracy and fight against military intervention...Afterall they have been preaching democracy all these years.

5)Nigeria_________________________.Which democracy you wan America to defend..Since you no get oil,those people no go dey interested on your protection..Look these people,na money them want,,,them don tire for giving ya country aid..So make you no deceive ya sef..You don play foul big time..The only thing wey remain,na for you to come nigeria and settle,so that you for learn correct politics.....You be small pikin for politics...Na local government chairman fit you..Haba..even small politician for nigeria no go fit Bleep up like you...since you enter government,you no fit find correct area boys to defend you..Where you wan carry all the money go......mtcheew!

Goons Goons Goons.

Insincere 9gerian, Jonadumb ass licker.

These are people with guts, passion for change and sincereity. Those who are not ready to compromise, those who are not interested in their stomach, rather they are ready to satisfy their conscience that they are doing the right thing.

One thing you should know is that the Government should respect his/her citizens because they are his employer, they are his master, they elected him from the dept of their heart to represent their country, to provide their needs, to protect their life and property.

But here it is different. Nobody is ready to sacrifice for another. All our Martyrs are long dead and gone, nobody is ready to take up the mantle and fight for the interest of the poor man.

Did you even bother to go through the resume of the Minister of Defence in Egypt?

Insincere9gerian, Abati, Okupe e.t.c your time is coming soon, because the will of the people is stronger than the will of the government. You are all bunch of mediocre, i guess you are from the same lineage "ESAU"

Keep selling your birthright for porridge.

#I-AM-OUT#

mankand:

#I-AM-OUT#

Phew !!! The most interesting and important part of your post .

Thanks for sparing us with no such tripe in the future . .

Sincere 9gerian: What are the lessons from the experience in Egypt? For me, an important lesson here lies in the popular saying- 'all that glitters is not gold'

We have to understand that because Mubarak's monarchical leadership lasted for so long, any subsequent change was bound to have an element of chaos.

One has to believe in the demonstrative ability of the oppressed, particularly the youth, to understand that the Egyptian people would eventually achieve a veritable outcome - much like others around the world who have successfully toppled unaccountable governments.

Nigerians have to learn to make their leaders accountable.

Only Cretins preach mob action like what is happening in Egypt. Who invests in an economy with incessant mob actions. Only Compound foools preach such in Nigeria. I have said it that Politicians don't change society; what changes a society is conscious attitudinal change. It is attitudinal change that can eliminate corruption not an anti-corruption czar.If you hit the streets and remove GEJ, what would have been done, is the dethronement of a mafia and the enthronement of another mafia who think alike but from different angles.
Nigerian needs attitudinal change, and then Intellectual revolution. every other thing will follow.

finally, Only sycophants will say PDP or ACN or whatever party is the problem of Nigeria because members of such parties are not foreigners/aliens.





Only the neutrals can see.

duality: Only Cretins preach mob action like what is happening in Egypt. Who invests in an economy with incessant mob actions. Only Compound foools preach such in Nigeria. I have said it that Politicians don't change society; what changes a society is conscious attitudinal change. It is attitudinal change that can eliminate corruption not an anti-corruption czar.If you hit the streets and remove GEJ, what would have been done, is the dethronement of a mafia and the enthronement of another mafia who think alike but from different angles.
Nigerian needs attitudinal change, and then Intellectual revolution. every other thing will follow.

finally, Only sycophants will say PDP or ACN or whatever party is the problem of Nigeria because members of such parties are not foreigners/aliens.







Only the neutrals can see.

Cowards like you make such comments.

You make your leaders accountable for their actions and not "I don't give a damn" attitude.

Meanwhile this is Segun Adeniyi's lesson from Egypt..

awodman:
“Like most human follies, military coups sound good at the time; and always fail. They sound good because what they replace is usually bad: riotous civilian leaders, corrupted institutions, stolen elections. They fail because beneath the chaos are political problems that soldiers cannot unpick...”

The foregoing quote was taken from a January, 2006
edition of the ‘Economist’ magazine, following a coup
d’etat in Bangladesh where some military Generals seized
power from a corrupt and inept civilian leadership.

However, after the initial euphoria by the people, the
reality was to sink in, as it always does, that soldiers have
no magic solution for dealing with complex socio-political
problems.

It is against this background that one can situate the
current turmoil in Egypt. On Monday, the military
authorities upped the ante with a curious statement that
was hailed by many Egyptian protesters and which has
also excited not a few Nigerians. With troops deployed in
strategic positions across Cairo, General Abdel Fattah al-
Sisi, defence minister and head of the armed forces,
warned that the army would intervene if the government
and its opponents failed to heed “the will of the people”
within 48 hours. Last night, Al-Sisi made good his threat
when he sacked the democratically elected government of President Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood and picked the chief justice of constitutional court to take over.

Not surprisingly, there were jubilations on the streets of
Cairo last night following the military intervention. And with the grass always greener on the other side, I have read some of our online commentators disparaging Nigerians for not acting like the Egyptians and that we need that sort of street intervention to deal with our current political challenge. Before I go further, it is important to highlight some of the grievances of the opposition movement behind the seemingly endless protests on the streets of Cairo.

By the expectations of the protesters, a government that
had barely spent one year in office ought to have restored
security to the level it was before President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in 2011. Aside protesting that there was “no justice” for the people killed by security forces in the course of the anti-government protests of the last two
years, they also claimed that “no dignity is left” for
Egyptians or their country and that the economy has
“collapsed”. With all that, the opposition movement gave
Morsi until last Tuesday to step down and call fresh
presidential elections, or else face a campaign of civil
disobedience which the army capitalized upon to overthrow the government yesterday.

For every grouse that an Egyptian can level against their
government, a Nigerian can probably come up with ten
about our government. So it came as no surprise that some of our compatriots would romanticise “revolutions” or any form of political upheaval that will sweep away the current system and its operators. Incidentally, this had actually been a subject of interrogation in the not-too-distant past, following a May 2005 document from the United States National Intelligence Council, entitled “Mapping Sub- Saharan Africa’s Future”. Specifically, under the sub-heading “Downside Risks” in the report, the US National Intelligence Council had claimed that “while currently Nigeria’s leaders are locked in a bad marriage that all dislike but dare not leave, there are possibilities that could disrupt the precarious equilibrium in Abuja. The most important would be a junior officer coup that could destabilize the country to the extent that open warfare breaks out in many places in a sustained manner.”

In his response to the US report back then, President
Obasanjo had dismissed most of the assumptions that
informed the conclusion. But he also noted most
poignantly: “It is important for us to know that we are
being rated low, not because of what is happening to us
from outside but because of what we do to, for and by
ourselves internally...”

Yes, what is true of Egypt is true of our country today as
many are disillusioned with our politicians, including those who claim to be in opposition yet whose values are at variance with what they mouth publicly. But the fact also remains that all the demonstrations of the last two years have not improved the material conditions of the people of Egypt and there is no sign that things will get better anytime soon. In fact, chances are that things may actually get worse. To that extent, whatever may be our misgivings about the current political situation in the country, the future of our nation depends largely on sustaining our democracy and making it work.

However, there is also this erroneous assumption that the
Nigerian people are docile and that a revolution can never
happen here. What I find most interesting is that even
people in government believe this lie, the same way it was assumed and always glibly said in the past that an average Nigerian loves life so much that not one of our nationals could ever be a suicide bomber. Now, we know better.

Far more difficult to understand is that public office holders who call for “revolution” always assume that if such ever happened, it would leave them untouched. Two days ago in Lagos, House of Representatives Speaker, Hon Aminu Tambuwal, said in a paper he personally presented: “The most compelling reasons for revolution throughout the ages were injustice, crushing poverty, marginalization,lawlessness, joblessness, and general disaffection of the ruling elite. You will agree with me that these factors capture the conditions of our nation now, to a large extent.” Fair enough you will say, but then Tambuwal would rather prescribe an “intellectual revolution” to resolve such contradictions, evidently because he is well aware that he is also in the line of fire should our people ever revolt!

What those who misread the maturity of the Nigerian
masses ignore is that political upheavals are usually
spontaneous actions that most often result from innocuous things; like the self-immolation of the Tunisian man which ignited the uprising in his country and eventually, the entire Arab world. Even then, it is not true that Nigerians cannot offer sustained resistance against authority. Many of us were living witnesses to the June/July 1993 post-annulment (of the presidential election) demonstrations on the streets of Lagos that ultimately forced then military president, General Ibrahim Babangida out of power. And the January 2012 national protests against hike in fuel price is still fresh in our memory. It will therefore be baseless for anybody to assume that the Nigerian people are not capable of rising against those in power.

The point never to be missed, however, is that perpetual
street protests offer no predictable outcome and they could engender sectarian violence from which it may be difficult for a nation to recover as is evident in several Arab countries today. But as the Egyptian protesters rejoice the overthrow of Morsi, I have a message for them: At the end of the day, the ultimate beneficiaries of their struggle may be the same corrupt forces that were in bed with the 30- year dictatorship of Mubarak they upended two years ago.If allowed to take root, democracy, for all its imperfections,has in-built mechanism for improvement and self-correction, even in Egypt.

All said, what happened in Cairo is a good warning to the
powers at home that we cannot assume indefinite
immunity against the things that provoke outrage in other counties. Tahrir Square is perhaps nearer than we may be ready to concede as our people can see around them the combination of factors that are fuelling protests from Rio to Cairo. Worse still, our population distribution in favour of young people makes us prone to impatient revolt. Nobody should therefore be under any illusion that the tide of violent rejection of substandard governance blowing across the world will elude us simply because “this is Nigeria”.

Those who have ears…

eGuerrilla:

We have to understand that because Mubarak's monarchical leadership lasted for so long, any subsequent change was bound to have an element of chaos.

Morsi made a DECREE that the Supreme Court had no jurisdiction to hear any petition against his Presidential decision. Then everyone started calling him Pharao.

mankand:

Cowards like you make such comments.

You make your leaders accountable for their actions and not "I don't give a damn" attitude.

What the Heck!!?

What in my post suggest cowardice ? I strongly believe in decency. trust me, Mob action does not show decency or any form of cerebral development expected of human beings. Any nation that takes critical decisions on the streets is not yet ready for development. You think mob actions is what will make you and your leader accountable to yourselves? you must be joking.

Its like saying killing criminals will stop criminality.

duality:

What the Heck!!?

What in my post suggest cowardice ? I strongly believe in decency. trust me, Mob action does not show decency or any form of cerebral development expected of human beings. Any nation that takes critical decisions on the streets is not yet ready for development. You think mob actions is what will make you and your leader accountable to yourselves? you must be joking.

Its like saying killing criminals will stop criminality.

Not mob action, but making your elected leaders understand the will power of the people. Let them be ready to be accountable and not "I do not give a damn" attitude

No offence meant at you in my post bro

Lesson: A democratically-elected leader is illegitimate, the rule of the mob is sacrosanct

duality: Only Cretins preach mob action like what is happening in Egypt. Who invests in an economy with incessant mob actions. Only Compound foools preach such in Nigeria. I have said it that Politicians don't change society; what changes a society is conscious attitudinal change. It is attitudinal change that can eliminate corruption not an anti-corruption czar.If you hit the streets and remove GEJ, what would have been done, is the dethronement of a mafia and the enthronement of another mafia who think alike but from different angles.
Nigerian needs attitudinal change, and then Intellectual revolution. every other thing will follow.

finally, Only sycophants will say PDP or ACN or whatever party is the problem of Nigeria because members of such parties are not foreigners/aliens.


Only the neutrals can see.

That is a typical Nigerian talking. They shout change but does nothing for the change to come. They are not cretins, but rather people who want change and will keep going until they get it, irrespective of who is there. The difference between you and your Egyptian cretins is that, they are taking the bull by the horn and you are still praying and waiting for God to do it for you. God has more important things to worry about than Nigeria.

Eziachi:
That is a typical Nigerian talking. They shout change but does nothing for the change to come. They are not cretins, but rather people who want change and will keep going until they get it, irrespective of who is there. The difference between you and your Egyptian cretins is that, they are taking the bull by the horn and you are still praying and waiting for God to do it for you. God has more important things to worry about than Nigeria.

No. You are the typical Nigerian mouthing ignorant rubbish out of inferiority complex. Fact is Egypt is at least 20 years behind Nigeria in political evolution. It is Egypt that needs to learn from Nigeria, not the other way round. If you cannot see how, then go get a brain transplant.

ckkris: Morsi made a DECREE that the Supreme Court had no jurisdiction to hear any petition against his Presidential decision. Then everyone started calling him Pharao.

Is that enough justification to oust a democratically elected government? A president doing a bad job or violating the constitution must be removed by a constitutional process and not by the army with cover provided by protesters who lost at the ballot box.

Nigerians should look towards Egypt for guidance on how to treat the type of leaders we have today., Nothing more nothing less

citizenY: Nigerians should look towards Egypt for guidance on how to treat the type of leaders we have today., Nothing more nothing less

Really? Most stup.id comment of the day. Jonathan unlike Morsi has not cornered state resources for his constituency alone while reneging on electoral promises and presiding over a stagnating economy and neglecting infrastructure. Quite the opposite in fact. Why then should millions of Nigerians take to the streets to demand his resignation and military intervention/coup as in Egypt? Do you people actually have working brains or are you as dumb as u sound?

@above,

This is the type of docility that is holding us in perpetual bondage to clueless leaders.
What a shame.

citizenY: Nigerians should look towards Egypt for guidance on how to treat the type of leaders we have today., Nothing more nothing less

Why should we look toward Egypt, a nation with no democratic experience? The popularity rating of a president may be low, but that does not mean he should be removed through unconstitutional means. The president needs a majority only when elected, not at every subsequent moment and even if at all the president was to be removed either because of gross abuse of power or incompetence, it should be by legal means except you believe that rule of law is a myth and democracy is a lie!

citizenY: @above,

This is the type of docility that is holding us in perpetual bondage to clueless leaders.
What a shame.

So to prove you are not docile you go on the street to demand the army seize power from your elected govt? So you really think a military coup is what Nigeria needs today? Simply because you see that happening in Egypt? In fact I give up! Some of you are just....thick.

citizenY: @above,

This is the type of docility that is holding us in perpetual bondage to clueless leaders.
What a shame.

What Nigeria need is neither mob action nor military coup but political education to elect the right leaders and make them accountable! What distinguishes constitutional democracy from mob action is that orderly processes are followed!

I was not counting on your type anyway....

mankand:

Not mob action, but making your elected leaders understand the will power of the people. Let them be ready to be accountable and not "I do not give a damn" attitude

No offence meant at you in my post bro

Oh please....

"will power" is exercised through elections, judicial processes, legislative processes etc. We have not even started using effectively the powers of democracy. have any docile legislator been recalled? Recall some docile legislators today and see if the legislative houses at both state and federal level will not change. I'm surprised people will not exhaust the constitutional means of dealing with issues and they feel the unconstitutional means is best. Yet people condemn what happened in Aluu; Rivers State. Is it not the same Mob action?

mankand: Goons Goons Goons.

Insincere 9gerian, Jonadumb ass licker.

These are people with guts, passion for change and sincereity. Those who are not ready to compromise, those who are not interested in their stomach, rather they are ready to satisfy their conscience that they are doing the right thing.

One thing you should know is that the Government should respect his/her citizens because they are his employer, they are his master, they elected him from the dept of their heart to represent their country, to provide their needs, to protect their life and property.

But here it is different. Nobody is ready to sacrifice for another. All our Martyrs are long dead and gone, nobody is ready to take up the mantle and fight for the interest of the poor man.

Did you even bother to go through the resume of the Minister of Defence in Egypt?

Insincere9gerian, Abati, Okupe e.t.c your time is coming soon, because the will of the people is stronger than the will of the government. You are all bunch of mediocre, i guess you are from the same lineage "ESAU"

Keep selling your birthright for porridge.

#I-AM-OUT#

[size=56pt]EARTHQUAKE GBAM !!![/size]

Lesson 1: there is strength in unity when citizens put aside their political and religious differences to fight for a common goal.

Lesson 2: never downplay the military because they will form a balance with the civilian govt and keep them sane.

duality: Only Cretins preach mob action like what is happening in Egypt. Who invests in an economy with incessant mob actions. Only Compound foools preach such in Nigeria. I have said it that Politicians don't change society; what changes a society is conscious attitudinal change. It is attitudinal change that can eliminate corruption not an anti-corruption czar.If you hit the streets and remove GEJ, what would have been done, is the dethronement of a mafia and the enthronement of another mafia who think alike but from different angles.
Nigerian needs attitudinal change, and then Intellectual revolution. every other thing will follow.

finally, Only sycophants will say PDP or ACN or whatever party is the problem of Nigeria because members of such parties are not foreigners/aliens.





Only the neutrals can see.

I guess you mean investors can invest in Sharia countries like Afghanistan and Somalia.... Zamfara and Borno States in Nigeria.?

duality:

Oh please....

"will power" is exercised through elections, judicial processes, legislative processes etc. We have not even started using effectively the powers of democracy. have any docile legislator been recalled? Recall some docile legislators today and see if the legislative houses at both state and federal level will not change. I'm surprised people will not exhaust the constitutional means of dealing with issues and they feel the unconstitutional means is best. Yet people condemn what happened in Aluu; Rivers State. Is it not the same Mob action?

You have not started using effective powers of democracy because you all choose to vote through mediocre and sentiments. You dance with them on campaign grounds to collect 2 Derica or Rice and 1ltr of groundnut oil with few cubes of maggi and in addition they give you N1, 000 to go home with.

When you have a leader that can say boldly "I don't give a damn" what do you do? You elected him there, will you keep praying to God to remove him for you when you placed him there by your own hands? God is too busy to be meddling into such errands.

You talk about constitutional means, I just concluded that you are a self centred person, you only care about yourself, have you thought about the hope of the common man? the less priviledged? Nah i think to you, they are the minority.

No room for poor performance again. You perform badly, and you are booted out.