In Senegal, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko presided over an inter-ministerial council on Thursday, May 21st. During this crucial meeting, the head of government reportedly articulated his profound frustration with the management of certain public dossiers. He once again pointed fingers at the former administration of Macky Sall, accusing it of widespread financial misconduct and misappropriation.
“The sheer magnitude of these revelations is beyond comprehension,” Sonko reportedly declared after receiving an audit report detailing the state of public assets and infrastructure. According to the inventory presented by the Prime Minister’s office, a staggering 245 infrastructure projects and strategic public assets are currently either stalled, incomplete, or significantly underutilized. The total financial implication of these issues is estimated to surpass 5,000 billion FCFA, a figure equivalent to Senegal’s entire annual national budget. “Some even speculate that this amount corresponds to our national public debt… it is nothing less than pure waste,” the Prime Minister asserted.
Further compounding the issue, 62 of the 94 ongoing construction projects across the country are virtually at a standstill. These projects alone have already consumed over 5,227 billion FCFA. The case of the Sandiara high school, initiated in 2014 and still far from completion, particularly “shocked” Sonko. “Twelve years to build a single high school. This is an absolute absurdity,” he fumed.
Sonko’s resolute stance on accountability
The Prime Minister also took the opportunity to reiterate his criticism of the justice system. He accused it of providing protection to influential “barons” from the previous regime, who are allegedly responsible for the embezzlement of public funds.
“Sometimes, I admit, I harbor doubts. I question whether it is truly worth continuing. In this country, you can seemingly commit any wrongdoing and remain well-shielded. The system remains fundamentally intact,” Ousmane Sonko stated. He even alluded to the possibility of alleged “judicial sabotages” potentially involving certain magistrates. “These cases do not belong to the magistrates; they belong to the people,” he emphasized, before issuing a stern warning that he intends to “escalate his tone” in the coming weeks.
“The sheer magnitude of these revelations is beyond comprehension,” Sonko reportedly declared after receiving an audit report detailing the state of public assets and infrastructure. According to the inventory presented by the Prime Minister’s office, a staggering 245 infrastructure projects and strategic public assets are currently either stalled, incomplete, or significantly underutilized. The total financial implication of these issues is estimated to surpass 5,000 billion FCFA, a figure equivalent to Senegal’s entire annual national budget. “Some even speculate that this amount corresponds to our national public debt… it is nothing less than pure waste,” the Prime Minister asserted.
Further compounding the issue, 62 of the 94 ongoing construction projects across the country are virtually at a standstill. These projects alone have already consumed over 5,227 billion FCFA. The case of the Sandiara high school, initiated in 2014 and still far from completion, particularly “shocked” Sonko. “Twelve years to build a single high school. This is an absolute absurdity,” he fumed.
Sonko’s resolute stance on accountability
The Prime Minister also took the opportunity to reiterate his criticism of the justice system. He accused it of providing protection to influential “barons” from the previous regime, who are allegedly responsible for the embezzlement of public funds.
“Sometimes, I admit, I harbor doubts. I question whether it is truly worth continuing. In this country, you can seemingly commit any wrongdoing and remain well-shielded. The system remains fundamentally intact,” Ousmane Sonko stated. He even alluded to the possibility of alleged “judicial sabotages” potentially involving certain magistrates. “These cases do not belong to the magistrates; they belong to the people,” he emphasized, before issuing a stern warning that he intends to “escalate his tone” in the coming weeks.
Ousmane sonko voices doubts on accountability, slams justice system