Aly Ngouille Ndiaye’s revelations on Ousmane Sonko’s special funds
Aly Ngouille Ndiaye revealed that the 1.7 billion FCFA political fund designated for Ousmane Sonko was reportedly fully depleted before Sonko requested additional budgetary allocations. This disclosure has ignited fresh discussions concerning the transparency surrounding these expenditures.
Former Interior Minister Aly Ngouille Ndiaye has reignited the national conversation regarding the special funds allocated to Senegal’s highest state authorities. Before delving into presidential funds, Ndiaye emphasized that Ousmane Sonko should first account for the resources he utilized during his tenure as head of government.
Tracing the history of these special allocations, Aly Ngouille Ndiaye asserted that the current Prime Minister is the first Senegalese head of government ever to receive dedicated political funds for his office. He highlighted that most former Prime Ministers are still living – with the exception of Boun Abdallah Dionne – and confirmed that neither Dionne nor Amadou Bâ ever had access to such an independent fund. Ndiaye also noted that Sidiki Kaba, who succeeded Sonko at the Primature, served for too brief a period for such an issue to arise in his case.
The ambiguity surrounding the 1.7 billion FCFA
The former minister then addressed the figure of 1.7 billion FCFA, a sum frequently mentioned by Ousmane Sonko himself, yet without clear details on its periodicity. Some speculate it’s a quarterly amount, while others suggest an annual sum. Ngouille Ndiaye pointed out that if this allocation is indeed quarterly, the annual total would then approach 8 billion FCFA.
The former minister also echoed previous statements made by Abdourahmane Diouf, suggesting that the entire 1.7 billion FCFA fund was expended before Sonko sought a supplementary budget. For Ndiaye, the fact that Sonko’s successor in the Prime Minister’s office found no funds available serves as evidence that the first quarter’s allocation had been fully utilized – a conclusion he presented as a factual observation rather than an accusation.
Aly Ngouille Ndiaye concluded by stating 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 himself established. He further hinted at possessing additional information on the matter but chose not to disclose it publicly at this time.