₦airaland Forum

The Nigerian government has condemned the ouster of Egypt’s democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, by the country’s military, saying it viewed the development as well as the suspension of the constitution with grave concern.

It therefore called for the immediate restoration of constitutional rule in the country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Thursday the development is “a truncation of the aspirations of the Egyptian people to freely express themselves through the ballot box.”

The statement added, “This unfortunate development is a gross violation of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, which prohibits unconstitutional change of government. It constitutes a serious setback to the remarkable progress which Africa has made in fostering the culture of democratic governance in the continent.

“Nigeria calls for the immediate restoration of the democracy order in Egypt and urges the Egyptian Armed Forces to allow the democratic culture to thrive in the country.”

Meanwhile, a federal lawmaker has described the removal of Mr. Morsi and suspension of the country’s constitution as an aberration and a threat to democratic sustainability in Africa.

Segun Olulade, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy, Security and Publicity, Lagos State House of Assembly, said this while speaking with newsmen in Lagos on Thursday.

“The Egyptian military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, should not have indulged in a coup, but rather, should have called for regional interventions to persuade President Mohammed Morsi,’’ he said.

According to him, there could have been a demand for international sanctions when and where necessary.

The lawmaker said that democratic options had, over time, proved to be the best strategies in bringing lasting solution to problems in a democratic setting.

He said that military coups would only deepen the wounds and worsen the existing animosity among warring political factions.

Mr. Olulade recalled that Egypt was the first country in Africa to witness a military take-over of the reins of government in post-colonial Africa, as led by Gen. Abdel Nasser.

He said that African democrats and their military counterparts should apply caution in handling sensitive issues that were of paramount concern to the welfare of their people and well-being of their nations.

The lawmaker noted that the situation in Egypt was likely to result in a prolonged constitutional crisis, if the pro-Morsi forces were able to sustain their claim to power against the newly installed government.

Mr. Olulade appealed to all political factions in Egypt to embrace peace and dialogue as a panacea to finding a lasting solution to the situation in the country.

He said that the critical import of peaceful dialogue, conflict management, negotiation and mutual bargaining in resolving crises in any democratic society could never be over-emphasised.

Following Morsi’s ouster, Adly Mahmud Mansour, the top judge of Egypt’s Constitutional Court, , was on Thursday sworn in as interim leader.

Rossikk: First, only a very few nations have states and state governors.

Second, what about state-led infrastructural projects? You need state governors to go out there and cut deals on infrastructure projects, and even for setting up large-scale manufacturing enterprises in their respective constituencies. Clear state support for such projects is vital in assuring potential investors of the viability of the project(s).

Rossikk: You don't seem to grasp the sheer scale of opportunities that abound in China in all areas of investment. You need serious players who are decision makers in their own right on that trip with Mr President. It is right that some governors went along.

style$co:
I don't know why I have this feeling that Amaechi planned the kidnap of those corpers to make the cp look bad and incompetent.

Its just a feeling.

Don't undermine a desperate man.

ogb5: I lived in PH both during Odili's tenure and Amaechi's tenure.

At no time was was Rivers state free of crimes.
Kidnapping, cultism, oil stealing has always been rampant in Rivers state.

Amaechi coming out to accuse the cp of incompetence because 3 corpers were kidnapp is hypocrisy. Is this the 1st time corpers have been kidnapped in Rivers state?

Like I said money used in finding the police is public funds, not Amaechi's fund. He should sit down and do his job instead of planning to play politics with the lives and security of the citizens of Rivers state

touch4mony: is the so called amechi better dan GEJ ppl who opposed his re election we kw what he did to them mr omehie his brother can say beta and ur own i guess is not that beta than the bag of beans nor ur father beta than the shameless GEJ.watch d name u call ppl parents because ur parents will someday b address the same way if u hv nofin to say u jst short de Bleep up.

Frank-C:
Why not go ahead and stop 'funding police in Rivers' instead of talking like a market woman. Almost everyday, Amaechi say this, Amaechi says that. Who is he really? A State governor who lost out in the power game in his party and working so hard to curry the sympathy of noisy APC touts.

First, he accused the CP of reporting to Abuja as if the CP was not deployed from Abuja in the first place. It is beyond his brief to dictate which police commissioner he wants or not. IGP has done his job and Amaechi should work with the guy for the good of Rivers citizens instead of this his daily rants. He wants to be Rivers governor, PDP national chairman, NGF chairman, IGP, NDDC chairman among others.

Nigeria police cannot be controlled from Rivers government house. Which kind of leader quarrels with the security apparatus in a State he governs anyway? The only people Amaechi is not presently quarrelling with today are the unregistered APC people.

ogb5: Amaechi should stop all this cry-cry talk.

The money used in funding the police is public fund and it is not in the interest of the public for the police to be underfunded.

He should just sit down and do his job instead of playing politics with the lives and security of the citizens of his state.

Swaggot00: lol. Go sit down joor
you guys still dy strike 4 9ja? Omo i aint kumin bck home anytime soon, i swear!!