A city must be in the image of its inhabitants. It is senseless to design an agglomeration without there being people, united for better or for worse, aspiring to benefit from their rights since they pay for it, without derogating from their obligations. Taxpayers expect, therefore, to be properly served. The service and product they expect must be of quality. The credibility of civil servants and employees, at all levels, depends on the services they offer. They are supposed to know, without any pretension, that their work has never been free, and that the money received does not come from the pockets of their superiors. It is the citizens who pay it.

Furthermore, one must also keep in mind the duty of citizenship. Has Moroccan wisdom not taught us that serving one's country is the source of the greatness of a good citizen?

It is in this logic that our reaction regarding the current state of Sidi Bennour is inscribed. Seat of the province and other provincial delegations, "we wanted it as pretty as a Doukkali dream," said this intellectual from Ouezzane, recalling, in this regard, Allal (Driss El Khouri). Still constituting the symbolic point of attraction of the region, the city of Sidi Bennour still counts among the most visited urban centres given its geographical location, and is therefore a mandatory stop for tourists, who do not hesitate to stop there to sip a good glass of mint tea or feast on a meal while shelling skewers. Moreover, its Tlath Souk constitutes the meeting place for major merchants who have come from the four corners of Morocco. "It hurts us to assume this neglect, this laxity shown by the officials who have become, by force of circumstances, ours. We believe that the new governor has been well received by social networks and some electronic newspapers," says El Habib.

That the city of Sidi Bennour becomes a vacant lot for dogs that do not hesitate to strut on the esplanade of the pachalik and the Municipal Council Palace, a pasture for animals, an open-air dump, an asylum for the insane whose number increases every time cities decide to get rid of them for one occasion or another, this arouses the discontent of citizens who thus find themselves offended in their self-respect. "Look at how they dare to mock us, how they treat us, how they serve us, these people. Do they think we are asking them for alms? Do they think it simply depends on their whim to do their job?" cries Abdelhakim. And to add: "For there to be sustained growth, it is important to maximise the use of existing public infrastructure and ensure its proper functioning".

Thus, it would be desirable, even urgent, to mobilise all the actors concerned with the rehabilitation of a city that is following closely how its sugar-beet sister, Lafquih Ben Saleh, is evolving.

A strong political will from local elected officials for the effective realisation of the city's upgrading projects is urgently required, as was promised to His Majesty the King during his visit to the province of Sidi Bennour.