10 years anniversary of King Mohammed VI of Morocco celebrated in Ghana
Audrey Micah

King Mohammed VI, who is 45 years old, has been King of Morocco for the past 10 years.  He succeeded his father, King Mohammed V, who passed away in 1999, after ruling for 38 years.

To mark the anniversary of King Mohammed assuming power, traditional ceremonies as well as parties and concerts were held in many cities and towns in Morocco.

In Accra, Ghana, there was a reception at the Novotel Hotel, where many prominent members of government, the diplomatic corps, citizens of Morocco as well as the general public attended to pay their respect to the King, though his Ambassador to Ghana, H. E. Abdel Hamind-Jowuigui.

The programme which was organized by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Ghana saw many of the Moroccan nationals living in Accra dressed in their traditional attire..

The occasion brought the Minister of Communication, Haruna Iddrisu, the High Commissioner of Malaysia, Dato’ Razinah Ghazali, High Commissioner of India, the Ambassador of Japan, Keiichi Katakami, UNDP representative Dauda Toure , the new Managing Director of Royal Air Maroc, Mouhsine Rmail and other prominent men and women together to share the joy of the occasion.

Also present at the occasion was former Ghana's ambassador to Morocco, H. E. Kobina Annan and his wife, Mrs Ekua Annan.

Research conducted by Ghanadot revealed that on such commemorative occasions, the King of Morocco traditionally gives each year hundreds, even thousands of pardons to felons and inmates in prisons  as the country celebrates the Feast of the Throne.  This year King Mohammed pardoned 24,865 prisoners, and commuted 32 death sentences.

In selecting them, the King took into account humanitarian considerations in allowing the prisoners back into society, which led to the release of 517 women who are pregnant or have children and 137 minors as well as 659 inmates of different nationalities and commuted 32 death sentences to life imprisonment.

Ghanadot