Senegal’s Sonko condemns wasteful governance in scathing accountability speech

On Thursday, May 21, Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko convened an interministerial council, where he delivered a sharp critique of the country’s public administration. Speaking to reporters afterward, he expressed deep frustration over the mismanagement of state resources under the previous administration, accusing officials of large-scale embezzlement and negligence.

The scathing remarks came after a government audit revealed severe deficiencies in infrastructure and public asset management. The review identified 245 stalled, abandoned, or underutilized projects, with an estimated cost exceeding 5,000 billion FCFA—an amount surpassing Senegal’s annual national budget. “Some even claim this figure matches our total public debt,” Sonko remarked. “In reality, it’s nothing but sheer waste.”

Broken promises and abandoned projects

The audit also shed light on the state of ongoing construction, with 62 out of 94 active projects effectively paralyzed. These stalled efforts represent an investment of over 5,227 billion FCFA. Among the most glaring examples is the Sandiara high school, initiated in 2014 and still unfinished—a delay Sonko described as “an outrageous betrayal of public trust.” “Twelve years to build a single school? This is beyond absurd,” he declared.

Calls for accountability and judicial reform

Sonko reserved his harshest criticism for the justice system, accusing it of shielding high-profile figures from the former regime who stand accused of embezzling public funds. “I sometimes question whether it’s worth continuing,” he admitted. “In this country, you can plunder without consequence and still enjoy protection. The system is still intact.”

He went further, alleging that certain magistrates were involved in “judicial sabotage,” deliberately delaying or obstructing corruption cases. “These cases belong to the people, not to judges,” he emphasized, warning that the government would “raise the stakes” in the coming weeks to ensure transparency and accountability.