SPECIAL REPORT
Thirty one years after June 12 saga, there is no one like MKO Abiola, Africa’s First & Only Pillar of Sports’
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
It is 31 years today since Nigeria election of 12 June 1993 of which Bashorun MKO Abiola has been the living symbol.
It is widely acknowledged as the most credible election ever in Africa’s largest democracy – Nigeria. Despite all pre-election gimmicks at instigating violence through general black-out, fuel shortages and all sorts of provocations, Nigerians largely turned out to vote disregarding ethnic, religious and social divides.
Most largely focussed on “Hope ‘93”, the election slogan of Abiola whose stature, and achievements as well as influence cut across all divides and was seen as a unifier, especially when the topic shifts to love for the masses, philanthropy and the opium of the masses – sports.
Only one man was ever bestowed with the title, Africa’s Pillar of Sports.
The honour was bestowed to Bashorun MKO Abiola. His interest cut across many sports and covered many African countries.
He sponsored various sports activities in Nigeria and 14 other African countries. Among them are Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia and Tunisia.
Such was his unparalleled support for sports that no other African has been able to fill his position as Africa’s First Pillar of Sports since 1980 when the then African Sports Journalists Union (ASJU) bestowed the honour on him.
On January 11, 1992 in Dakar, Senegal, he entered the African football Hall of Fame when the Sports philanthropist-extra extraordinaire was honoured by CAF with an award of Order of Merit in Gold. This is the confederation’s highest honour. Abiola at the occasion donates the CAF Cup trophy endowed with $100,000.
Not many deeply involved in business and political activities have the kind of devotion that Abiola had for sports. He lived in virtually everyone’s lives until a adventure into politics cut short his life.
It is 31 years today, since the historic June 12 election in Nigeria. The date has in the past two years been symbolically accepted as the Democracy Day, marking what was believed to be the fairest ever national election in the country.
But the final outcome of the election was never officially released as it was suddenly annulled by the President Ibrahim Babangida’s administration.
The major character of the political drama, Bashorun MKO Abiola, a philanthropist, businessman, and politician was later arrested and detained a little over one year later as he struggled to claim his mandate.
He died under unclear circumstances on July 7, 1998. Even nearly three decades after his death, the clamour for the recognition of that struggle remained strong.
June 12 was only officially and nationally accepted as ‘Democracy Day’ as a replacement to May 29.
Incidentally the former May 29 day, also marked the first declaration of a state of emergency in the country when at the Federal House, Prime Minister Sir Abubakar moved the ‘the resolution’ for the declaration of a state of emergency in the Western Region.
His motion was seconded by the Federal Minister of Finance, Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh.
Before June 12, there was January 11, 1993 when the foundation of the June 12 episode was laid.
I was in the delegation of MKO Abiola to Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire for the inaugural CAF Super Cup that pitched hosts, Africa Sports against Wydad AC Casablanca of Morocco.
While in Abidjan, on the eve of the January 10 match that was attended by the CAF president, Issa Hayatou, we were discussing the presentation of a trophy on behalf of President Babangida to CAF for the continental under 17 football tournament.
The trophy was named the ‘Renaissance Cup’ and was designed by Patrick Okpomo while before then, I had submitted to Abiola, the design of the then third-tier African inter-clubs football competition trophy-the ‘Abiola CAF Cup’ which composed of a gold plated outline map of Africa atop a stylised base.
Both trophies were produced in Germany. At Sofitel Abidjan Hôtel Ivoire on the night of January 9, 1993, Okpomo and I were saddled with the responsibility of drafting a speech for President Babangida to formally present the trophy to CAF President.
At the time, I was the Group Sports Editor at the MKO Abiola owned Concord Press of Nigeria and had often travelled and drafted speeches for him at sports events.
We had issues on how much the president was to endow the trophy. A year earlier in Dakar, Senegal, Abiola endowed the CAF Cup with a $100,000.
Releasing one of his famous proverbs, Abiola remarked: “You can’t shave a man’s head in his absence”, when we enquired on how much we should put in the draft speech as endowment money for President Babangida.
We left a blank space. Abiola collected the speech and sent it by fax to the State House. We left for Abuja two days later aboard Abiola’s private jet in the company of Issa Hayatou and five other Cameroonians.
Also in the aircraft were my fellow journalists, Paul Bassey, then of Champion and Tony Nezianya (NAN). It was my first time at the Aso Rock Villa.
We were ushered into an auditorium. Barely 10 minutes later, the President entered as we rose up. It was announced that two events were slated for the day, the first being the presentation of the Renaissance Cup to CAF.
We were aware of this, as that was the reason we flew in from Abidjan with the trophy and also had Issa Hayatou on board. Before President Babangida read the speech we had drafted, Abiola had to make brief remarks and introduced Hayatou.
Just as he took his seat, he hopped up again to add to the recognitions he had earlier made after noting that some of the famous ‘IBB Boys’ were also seated with us in the auditorium.
After apologising for what he called a grave omission and had mentioned one or two of them, among whom was Col. Anthony Ukpo, the President cut in and asked the chief not to border.
That done, most of us were shocked when President Babangida announced the re composition of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the later cancelled hosting of the 1995 Under 20 World Cup and also that of the re composition of the Presidential Monitoring Committee (PMC) which at the time was led by Abiola.
Could the chief had fallen out of favour with the president? We were left guessing. His place was taken by Major General Yohanna Kure. And the meeting ended.
While Paul Bassey, Nezianya and I were programmed to drop off in Lagos, Abiola and Hayatou and five other Cameroonians were to continue the journey, not to Abidjan, but Dakar, Senegal where the African country was to host the French national team on January 12.
Still unsure of the unfolding events, Abiola came to us and informed of change of plans, releasing another proverb that when two logs fall on one another, you attend to the last upper one.
It meant that the earlier plans had changed. He asked Lisa Olu Akerele, a confidant and head of Concord Press’ operation to arrange flights for us to Lagos and also get the Managing Director of Concord in Lagos, Dr. Doyin Abiola, to arrange for Hayatou’s delegation to Dakar.
It was three days later that Abiola returned to Lagos and announced his intention to run for the presidency in the election slated later in the year.
The three days in Abuja apparently prepared the ground to the June 12 episode. Support for sports was a major casualty in the later June 12 fiasco.
Before then, in1990 in Calabar during the Nigeria Universities Games (NUGA), I asked him if he would return into politics after the failed attempt in the second republic in 1983 and considering the favourable disposition that President Babangida had for him.
He responded negatively saying that even he wanted to, his first wife, Simbiat, another sports-inclined personalty, would not even sanction it.
Incidentally, his venturing into politics again was after Simbiat passed on in 1992. Noting the persistent shift of the transition programme of Gen. Babangida, I also asked Abiola if the army chieftain was sincere with handing over power to civilians.
Abiola was never short of proverbial statements, he remarked that the Babangida’s situation was akin to a man who decline interest in a woman, but got edgy anytime he saw another man with the lady.
It was for me to decipher what that meant. At any given time, he was always finding an alibi for the general.
I remembered when we were at the Hotel Calderon in Barcelona during the Olympic Games in 1992, I asked him for update on the political situation in Nigeria where the 12 presidential candidates were disqualified and banned from contesting – a situation that further fuelled speculations that Babangida was not ready to relinquish power.
I worked closely with Bashorun MKO Abiola
Again, Abiola came up with defence of the general to which I responded that he was being too trusting of a man known for his double-speak methods, hence he was nicknamed Maradona for his ability to dribble people out of position.
I reminded him of an earlier shutting down of Concord Press on a night he was with the president in Abuja.
The closing of Concord was only known to him after he left the president. His attempt to return to the president for his intervention was rebuffed by security aides.
It was absurd considering that Abiola had always had an unhindered assess to the president. Abiola again explained it off, exonerating the Generals and blaming the security aides.
“If they tell the president that his wife is a security risk and must not enter the bedroom with him, so be it…sometimes you are a slave to the office you hold”, Abiola explained.
Applying another proverb to spice his statement, he remarked: “The bigger the head, the bigger the headache.”
That, he used to explain that the president had a lot of issues bordering him that the Concord ban was just one of the issues the president was attending to.
On May 1, 1993, party loyalists of the SDP stormed his Ikeja house protesting his choice of Babagana Kingibe as a running mate, arguing that he cannot pick a fellow Muslim and one that fiercely contested the presidential primaries with him at the party’s Jos convention.
The argument dragged on late in the night into the morning. I had to leave the house unable to see my boss for my intended purpose. Next morning, May 2, the delegates had departed, but Bashorun still looked worried.
He later ushered me to his bedroom along with Frank Igwebueze, my colleague and his aide on Reparation as well as Dr. Delu Ogunade, our former lecturer at the University of Lagos and editorial advisor at Concord Press.
A worried Abiola threw the question at the three of us, Christians, asking whether Christians would not vote for him as he had picked a Muslim running mate.
Dr. Ogunade responded first, using his vast experience of the American system to explain the the presidential candidate is the face of the ticket and that the running mate was less relevant.
Igwebuze responded in similar vein. When it came to my turn, not gauging the mood he was and the tension he had endured all through the night, I remarked: “Christians would vote, Muslims would vote, but I don’t think there is any vacancy in Aso Rock.”
My remark infuriated him. It was the first and only time he ever got angry with me since August 1989.
“Shut up! What do you know in politics! Is it not just sports that you know?” I seized the opportunity to let him know the purpose of my visit.
The Super Eagles would later that Sunday evening face Cote d’Ivoire in a triangular league that involved Algeria in the final qualification for the USA ‘94.
I felt that he could use the opportunity since he was known for sports, and his opponent Tofa, had no remote link with sports. I advised he attended the match and also sponsor a live telecast.
His face brightened as the suggestions offered an escape from the prevailing tension.
He instantly put a call across to his pilot at the Lagos Sheraton and told him to get all clearances to overfly the airspace across Benin, Togo and Ghana and obtain the landing right in Abidjan.
He told me to go and prepare for the trip. But by the time I returned, the pilot had called to explain difficulties in obtaining permission across one country’s airspace. The trip was aborted but he still sponsored the telecast of the match in which Austin Jay Jay Okocha debuted for the Super Eagles.
Travelling with teams was always a pleasure for him. My friend and colleague, Onochie Anibeze of Vanguard once told me of his experience flying with Abiola Babes for an African Winners Cup with Experance of Tunisia.
Aboard the flight, the team doctor took ill. He said Abiola, a good knack of easily recognising people just jokingly looked at his side and remarked that when the doctor who was expected to look after everyone took ill, perhaps the journalist here, pointing at Onochie, would take over.
Onochie said he had only attended one or two press conferences of Abiola and was shocked that with millions of faces the man saw on daily bases, he could still recognise him.
That illustrated his almost encyclopedic power of recognising people, even without having physically meet them. I remembered how I became the Group Sports Editor of Concord Press.
The sports desk was dissolved in August 1989 and the management was making frantic efforts at appointing a new sports editor. I learnt that at the management meeting, names were being thrown up.
My name did not come up for mentioning as I was working in the African Concord magazine which was obviously obscure in comparison with the flagship publication, National Concord.
All of a sudden, Abiola’s personal secretary came in with an handwritten note that read: “I hereby appoint Mr Kunle Solaja of the African Concord as the Group Sports Editor with immediate effect.”
That ended all arguments. Before then, I had never met him personally. We met for the first time at the Sofitel Hotel in Yaounde the evening of Nigeria’s elimination from the qualifying series of the Italia ‘90 World Cup.
I greeted him and introduced my self. He was shocked at my young age and youthful look, saying that from my write-ups in the African Concord and the display of power of recall, he thought I was much older.
Meeting him for the first time, I just melted and returned to my room. But my media colleagues who had better knowledge of him surrounded him and later told me they had a ‘nice outing’ with the philanthropist extraordinaire.
Having met him, he had picked my face. When he spotted me at half time at the Stade du 19 May in Annaba, Algeria when Nigeria faced Zambia in the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations, he was the one that sent for me and later asked that I see him at his hotel the next day.
He told me of his financial support for the football team. “I know you don’t clap with one hand, I will do the same to you the journalists too.”
He later gave me $2000 and $1000 for each Nigerian journalist at the tournament. It was the first of the numerous benefits I got from the philanthropist-extra extraordinaire.
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has welcome the United Arab Emirates (UAE) flag carrier Emirates flight back to Nigeria after a two-year break.
Emirates landed in Lagos last week after it stopped operation to Nigeria over diplomatic impasse and non-repatriation on its revenues then.
That now is a tale of the past as Nigeria’s aviation minister, Keyamo has expressed gratitude over the resolution of the impasse.
“Thank you for coming back to stay. You are not going away again. Going forward, our relationship will expand beyond resumption of flights”, the minister remarked.
“There are other things we can do that are mutually beneficial to both countries”, Keyamo further stated.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Sports Village Square takes a peep down memory lane since Nigeria’s independence 64 years ago. The findings are encapsulated in 64 paragraphs
August 22, 1960 – The Nigeria Football Association (NFA) was formally admitted to FIFA at its Congress in Rome.
November 30, 1960 – Nigerian boxer, Dick Tiger won the Middleweight Championship of the British Empire by beating Canada’s Wilf Greaves by knock out in the ninth round.
October 23, 1962 – Dick Tiger of Nigeria beat America’s Gene Fullmer in San Francisco to become the WBA champion
November 9, 1962 – Dick Tiger was recognized as World Middleweight Champion by the New York State Athletic Commission, the European Boxing Union and the British Boxing Board of Control.
August 10, 1963 – The first world boxing bout in Nigeria as Dick Tiger became the WBC Middleweight champion and retained his WBA belt after beating Gene Fullman by knockout in the seventh round at the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan.
October 10, 1964 – Nojim Maiyegun won Nigeria’s first ever medal at the Olympics when the light middleweight boxer shared the bronze medal with Józef Grzesiak of Poland.
October 21, 1965 – Dick Tiger regained his WBC and WBA belts which he had lost on December 7, 1963 to Joey Giardello at Atlantic City, New Jersey. He beat Giardello in New York to regain his crowns.
February 13, 1966 – For the first time, a Nigeria team won a football match in Ghana as the Sam Garba Okoye-inspired Nigerian Academicals which included Ismaila Mabo, Peter Anieke, and Tony Igwe, won 1-0 and followed up with a 2-1 win in the return leg in Lagos.
May 4, 1968 – The first time a Nigeria team qualified for a global football tournament. Even though the Green Eagles lost 1-0 to Ethiopia, they picked the ticket to feature at the Mexico ’68 Olympics.
August 26, 1972 – Isaac Ikhouria won a bronze medal in the boxing event of the Munich Olympic Games.
January 18, 1973 – Nigeria’s first continental honours, as the Green Eagles won the gold medal of the football event of the 2nd All Africa Games. The only victory Nigeria’s football team has obtained at the African Games.
March 14, 1976 – Nigeria’s return to the Africa Cup of Nations finals after 13 years absence was marked with an impressive third place position after beating Egypt 3-2. The highlight of the match was the spectacular winning goal scored by Muda Lawal.
April 18, 1976 – Nigeria pick the ticket for the Montreal Olympics after eliminating the current African champions, Morocco, 3-2 on aggregate. The Nigerian side however pulled out of the Olympics along with the other African countries.
December 12, 1976 – Shooting Stars became the first Nigerian team to win a continental title after a 4-2 aggregate win over Roger Milla -inspired Cameroon’s Tonerre Kalara in the African Winners Cup competition.
December 5, 1977 – Enugu Rangers won the African Winners Cup after beating Cameroon’s Canon Yaoundé 5-2 on aggregate.
March 22, 1980 – In front of enthusiastic crowd, including President Shehu Shagari, Nigeria won the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time.
April 6, 1983 – For the first time, Nigeria won the African Youth Championship (Tessema Cup after beating Cote d’Ivoire 4-3 on aggregate) and qualified for the World Youth Championship (now FIFA U-20 World Cup). It is the first time, Nigeria featured in a FIFA event.
June 4, 1983 – Nigeria unexpectedly beat former champions, USSR, 1-0, in one of the opening matches of the 1983 World Youth Championship (now Under 20 World Cup). It was the first time a Nigerian football team won a match organized by FIFA at global level.
July 28, 1984 – The Nigerian 4 x 400 team of Innocent Egbunike, Sunday Uti, Rotimi Peters and Moses Ugbusien won the bronze medal at the Los Angeles Olympics.
July 28, 1984 – Peter Konyengwachie won the silver medal in the featherweight category of boxing at the Los Angeles Olympics.
August 11, 1985 – Nigeria beat Germany 2-0 to win the inaugural FIFA Under 16 Tournament in China. It was the first time a team outside Europe and South America will win a major global event.
February 16, 1989 – When Christopher Ohenhen fired from a 15 metre spot kick in the match against hosts, Saudi Arabia in the opening game of the World Youth Championship (now U20 World Cup), it was not just the winning goal of the 2-1 score line, it was a milestone, the 500th since the competition began in 1977.
December 8, 1990 – BCC Lions became the third Nigerian club side to win the African Winners Cup as they beat Tunisia’s Club Africaine.
July 25, 1992 – Richard Igbineghu won a silver medal in the Super Heavyweight category of boxing at the Barcelona Olympics. Also, David Izonritei won the silver medal in heavy weight category after losing to Cuba’s Felix Savon in the final.
July 25, 1992 – The Nigerian quartet of Osmond Ezenwa, Oluyemi Kayode, Olapade Adeniken and Davidson Ezinwa won the silver medal in 4x100m Men at the Barcelona Olympics.
July 25, 1992 – The Nigerian quartet of Mary Onyali, Faith Idehen, Christy Opara-Thompson and Beatrice Utondu won the bronze medal in 4x100m Women at the Barcelona Olympics.
November 28, 1992 – Shooting Stars won the inaugural CAF Cup (now Confederations Cup) after beating Uganda’s Nakivibu Vila 3-0 on aggregate at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan.
September 4, 1993 – Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets beat Ghana, 2-1 in the final to win the FIFA Under -17 World Cup in Japan for the second time.
October 8, 1993 – For the first time since debut entry in 1959, Nigeria qualified for the FIFA World Cup final after a 1-1 draw with Algeria in Algiers.
April 10, 1994 – Nigeria were African champions again, after beating Zambia 2-1 in the final match of the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunis, Tunisia.
June 21, 1994 – Nigeria made a good debut in the World Cup, beating Bulgaria 3-0 as Rashidi Yekini became Nigeria’s first scorer at the World Cup.
December 4, 1994 – Bendel Insurance won the CAF Cup ((now Confederations Cup) becoming Nigeria’s second club after Shooting Stars to do so.
July 29, 1996 – Falilat Ogunkoya became Nigeria’s first individual woman Olympic medallist when she won bronze medal in 400 metres at the Atlanta Olympics
August 2, 1996 – Chioma Ajunwa produced an amazing first-round leap of 7.12m to become Nigeria’s first Olympic medallist.
August 3, 1996 – The Nigerian quartet of Falilat Ogunkoya, Fatima Yusuf, Christy Opara and Bisi Afolabi won the silver medal in 4x400m Women at the Atlanta Olympics.
August 3, 1996 – Nigeria won the gold medal in the football event of the Atlanta ’96 Olympics. It was the first time a team outside Europe would do that in 68 years. Nigeria also put an end to Europe’s successive victory. Since Nigeria’s victory, no European team has won the gold medal.
August 4, 1996 – Duncan Dokiwari won a bronze medal in the super heavyweight category of boxing at the Atlanta Olympics.
October 31, 1998 – Nigeria won the inaugural African Women Championship when Super Falcons beat Ghana 2-0 in the final match played at Abeokuta.
September 27, 2000 – Glory Alozie won the silver medal for Nigeria in women’s 100 hurdles at the Sydney Olympics.
September 30, 2000 – Nigeria won the men’s 4×400 relay silver medal at the Sydney Olympics. Years later, the quartet was upgraded to gold medallists after the disqualification of the American team.
September 30, 2000 – Nigeria won the women’s 4×400 relay bronze at the Sydney Olympics.
January 27, 2001 – When Victor Agali scored in the 67th minute to put scores at 2-0 in an eventual 3-0 defeat of Sudan in Port Harcourt, it was Nigeria’s 100th goal in the qualifying series of the World Cup. Nigeria thus became the first African side to hit a century of World Cup qualifying goals.
December 12, 2003 – Nigeria’s Enyimba won CAF Champions League. It is the first time a Nigerian side will do so since the continent’s premier club competition began in 1964. Enyimba went ahead to win the Super Cup for the first time for Nigeria.
January 31, 2004 – When Super Eagles’ skipper scored from the penalty spot against South Africa at the Africa Cup of Nations, it brought score line to 2-0 in an eventual 4-0 triumph. The goal is officially the 1,000th in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations.
August 27, 2004 – Nigeria won the bronze medal in the men’s 4 x 400 relay at the Athens Olympics.
August 28, 2004 – Nigeria won the bronze medal in the men’s 4×100 relay at the Athens Olympics.
December 12, 2004 – Enyimba became the first side to win the Champions’ League back-to-back and the first time a team successfully defend the African title in 36 years.
September 9, 2007 – Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets beat Spain, 3-0 (pens) in the final to win the FIFA Under -17 World Cup in Korea. It was a record setting third win.
March 8, 2008 – Nigeria’s Samuel Peters beat Oleg Maskaev in Cancun, Mexico to become the WBC champion.
August 21, 2008 – Nigeria won the bronze medal in the women’s 4×100 relay at the Beijing Olympics.
August 21, 2008 – Chika Chukwumerije won a bronze for Nigeria in the men’s heavyweight category of taekwondo at the Beijing Olympics.
August 22, 2008 – Blessing Okagbare won a bronze medal for Nigeria in women’s Long jump at the Beijing Olympics.
August 23, 2008 – Nigeria won the silver medal in the men’s football event of Beijing Olympics.
October 1, 2009 – On the occasion of Nigeria’s 49th Independence Day, Daniel Adejo scored the last of a 5-0 defeat of Tahiti at the Cairo International Stadium to pull Nigeria through to the next round of the FIFA U-20 World Cup. The goal was the 1,800th of the competition.
August 1, 2010 – Nigeria’s Falconets emerged the runners-up in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Germany after losing the final match 2-0 to the hosts, Germany. It was the best performance by an African side at the tournament.
February 3, 2013– Nigeria’s Super Eagles fielding largely home-grown players, beat Burkina Faso 1-0 to win the Africa Cup of Nations for the third time.
November 3, 2013– When Golden Eaglet’s Chidera Ezeh scored the third of Sweden’s 3-0 defeat at the U-17 World Cup in UAE, it turned a landmark goal, the 1,700th since the competition began in 1985.
August 30, 2015 – Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, D’Tigers won the Afrobasket for the first time, beating Angola 74-65. Nigeria’s Chamberlain Oguchi also emerged as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
August 20, 2016 – By beating Honduras 3-2 in the third-place match of the football event of the Rio 2016 Olympics, Nigeria became the first football team in the world to win gold, silver and bronze medals of the Olympic football event having won gold in 1996 and silver in 2008.
October 7, 2017 – When Nigeria beat Zambia 1-0 in Uyo to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the Super Eagles extended their unbeaten run in the qualifying series to 34 matches. It was the longest unbeaten streak in Africa and the second in the world after the 59 achieved by Spain. Nigeria’s feat is even more remarkable considering that it is four matches ahead that of Germany, the 2014 World Cup winners.
April 18, 2020 – Former Nigeria badminton player, Obiageli Solaja became the first Nigerian to win the African Women in Badminton Award. The award is conferred by the Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA).
March 12, 2021 – President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick became the third Nigeria ever to be elected into FIFA Council after Oyo Orok Oyo’s success into the then FIFA Executive Committee in 1980 and of Amos Adamu in 2006.
July 24, 2022 – Tobi Amusan became the first Nigerian to win gold at the World Athletics Championships after racing to a stunning world record time of 12.06s in Women’s 100m hurdles. It was the second time Amusan would break the record on the night, improving on her 12.12s in the semi-final. It was previously set by America’s Kendra Harrison’s at 12.20s.
July 29, 2024 – Nigeria’s basketball women’s team, D’Tigress ended their two-decade wait to experience winning a game at the Olympic Games when they beat Australia 75- 62.
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI on Monday marked the 25th anniversary of his ascension to the throne by announcing major reforms to reshape the kingdom and offer solutions to global problems.
He paid particular attention to the pressing issue of water scarcity in the kingdom while announcing the launch of many economic and development projects as well as social programs to achieve social cohesion and enable citizens to have access to basic services.
One of the major challenges in Morocco is that of water – a challenge which becomes increasingly serious due to drought. For six consecutive years drought has had a great impact on water reserves and groundwater, making the water situation more and more fragile and complex.
The King underscored the urgency of addressing the water crisis and has decided to tackle the challenge head-on.
“In this regard, it is necessary to complete the dam construction program and to give priority to the dams planned in the areas receiving significant rainfall”, the king announced on Monday.”
That will include the acceleration of large-scale projects for inter-basin transfers: especially from the Oued Laou and Loukkos basins to the Oum Er-Rbia basin, through the Sebou and Bouregreg basins.
“This will make it possible to retain one billion cubic meters of water that is being lost to the sea”, King Mohammed VI remarked.
In the global arena, the monarch as the Chairman of the al-Quds Committee, an intergovernmental organization and one of the four standing committees of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, enunciated the efforts he has made in providing solution to the armed conflict in Gaza.
“The keen interest we take in the situation prevailing in the country does not mean we are oblivious of, or insensitive to, the tragedy befalling our Palestinian brothers and sisters.
“As Chairman of the al-Quds Committee, I managed to have an unprecedented route opened up, through which we delivered urgent food and medical aid to our brothers and sisters in Gaza.
“And in keeping with the same spirit of commitment and responsibility, I continue to back constructive initiatives aimed at finding practical solutions, achieving a tangible and permanent ceasefire, and addressing the humanitarian situation.
“The deteriorating conditions in the region require going beyond the logic of crisis management and seeking, instead, a final solution to this conflict, based on the following:
“First: If putting an end to the war in Gaza is an urgent priority, then this must be achieved concurrently with opening up political prospects conducive to a just and lasting peace in the region;
“Second: Opting for negotiations to revive the peace process between the Palestinian and Israeli sides requires cutting off the path for extremists – from whatever side they may come;
“Third: Achieving complete security and stability in the region can be realized only within the framework of the two-state solution, with Gaza an integral part of the territory of the independent Palestinian state, and East Jerusalem its capital.”
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