During a recent television appearance, former Senegalese minister Aly Ngouille Ndiaye made a striking revelation regarding the allocation of special funds during Ousmane Sonko’s tenure as prime minister. According to Ngouille Ndiaye, Sonko was the first head of government to receive these discretionary funds, a claim that has reignited discussions about fiscal transparency in the country.

The former minister emphasized that no prior prime minister, including those still active in public life, had ever accessed these resources. “I was never prime minister myself, but among those who have held the position and are still with us today, only Boun Abdallah Dioné—may he rest in peace—has passed away,” Ngouille Ndiaye stated. “I know for a fact that he did not have access to these funds. The practice began with Ousmane Sonko.”

He further clarified that while some reports suggest the funds were distributed annually, others claim they were allocated quarterly. If distributed annually, Sonko would have had access to approximately 8 billion FCFA. However, records indicate that the initial 1.7 billion FCFA allocated were depleted rapidly. “If these funds were meant to last a year but were exhausted in a single quarter, it raises serious questions about their usage,” he noted. “This suggests they were not distributed on an annual basis. And if the funds were fully spent by the time his successor took office, it implies Sonko utilized them entirely.”

Calls for transparency and parliamentary investigations

Ngouille Ndiaye also addressed the ongoing debate surrounding parliamentary inquiry commissions. “If I were in Sonko’s position, the first step would be to clarify how these 1.7 billion FCFA were spent,” he asserted. “Parliamentary commissions should investigate their utilization. This would set a precedent for accountability.” He criticized the disconnect between political rhetoric and actions, stating, “They often claim they won’t misuse institutions, but actions speak louder than words.”

The remarks have intensified public scrutiny over the management of special funds in Senegal, particularly as opposition figures and civil society demand greater fiscal responsibility from government officials.