Aly Ngouille Ndiaye’s revelations on Ousmane Sonko’s special funds spark transparency debate
Aly Ngouille Ndiaye has shed light on the 1.7 billion FCFA political fund allocated to Ousmane Sonko, asserting that the entire sum was reportedly depleted before Sonko requested additional budgetary support. This disclosure raises significant questions concerning the transparency of these expenditures.
Former Interior Minister Aly Ngouille Ndiaye has reignited discussions surrounding the special funds provided to high-ranking state officials. Before delving into presidential funds, Ndiaye suggests that Ousmane Sonko should first account for how he utilized the resources granted to him during his tenure as head of government.
Reflecting on the history of these allocations, Aly Ngouille Ndiaye states that the current Prime Minister is the inaugural Senegalese head of government to receive dedicated political funds for his office. He emphasizes that most former Prime Ministers, with the exception of Boun Abdallah Dionne, are still alive, and none, including Dionne or Amadou Bâ, ever had access to such an independent fund. Ndiaye also pointed out that Sidiki Kaba, who succeeded Sonko in the Prime Minister’s office, served for too brief a period for this specific issue to arise in his situation.
Uncertainty surrounding the 1.7 billion FCFA
The former minister then addressed the 1.7 billion FCFA figure, a sum frequently mentioned by Ousmane Sonko himself, though its payment frequency remains ambiguous. While some speculate it’s a quarterly amount, others suggest it’s an annual allocation. Ngouille Ndiaye highlighted that if this endowment were indeed quarterly, the total annual sum would approximate 8 billion FCFA.
Ndiaye further reiterated previous statements made by Abdourahmane Diouf, which claimed that the 1.7 billion FCFA fund was entirely expended before Sonko sought additional budget. For Ndiaye, the observation that Sonko’s successor at the Prime Minister’s office found no remaining funds confirms the complete utilization of the first quarter’s allocation – a point he presented as a factual observation rather than an accusation.
Aly Ngouille Ndiaye concluded by suggesting that, for the sake of consistency and transparency, Ousmane Sonko should have included his own management of special funds within the scope of the investigative commissions he established. He also hinted at possessing further information on the matter, choosing not to disclose it publicly at this time.