Former Interior Minister Aly Ngouille Ndiaye has reignited public discussion surrounding the special funds provided to high-ranking state officials. Before delving into the broader issue of presidential funds, Ndiaye asserted that Ousmane Sonko must first provide a comprehensive account of how he utilized the resources made available to him during his tenure as head of government.

Recalling the historical context of such allocations, Aly Ngouille Ndiaye stated that the current Prime Minister is the first Senegalese head of government to have benefited from a dedicated political fund for his office. He emphasized that most former Prime Ministers are still living — with the exception of Boun Abdallah Dionne — and affirmed that neither Dionne nor Amadou Bâ ever received such an endowment. Ndiaye also noted that Sidiki Kaba, who succeeded Sonko in the Prime Minister’s office, served for too brief a period for this particular issue to arise in his case.

The ambiguity 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, yet whose periodicity remains unclear. Some speculate it represents a quarterly amount, while others suggest it is an annual total. Ngouille Ndiaye highlighted that if this allocation were indeed quarterly, the annual sum would approach 8 billion FCFA.

Furthermore, the former minister echoed earlier statements made by Abdourahmane Diouf, indicating that the 1.7 billion FCFA allocation was fully expended before Sonko requested additional funds. For Ndiaye, the fact that Sonko’s successor in the Prime Minister’s office found no funds available serves as evidence that the initial quarter’s funds were indeed entirely consumed — 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 incorporated his own management of special funds into the scope of the investigative commissions he himself established. He also hinted that he possesses further information on this matter but chose not to disclose it publicly at this time.