The Pastef parliamentary group, led by National Assembly President Ousmane Sonko, is spearheading a comprehensive inquiry into alleged financial irregularities and procedural violations within the ‘One Student, One Laptop’ initiative. This program, launched in 2017 under the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, has amassed an estimated 48 billion FCFA in public funds over eight editions.

The investigation targets potential breaches of the Public Procurement Code, including the absence of competitive bidding for contracts exceeding 50 million FCFA, failure to submit tenders to the Central Public Procurement Directorate (Dcmp) for prior approval, and the lack of proper ministerial authorization for high-value agreements.

Sonko’s team has uncovered troubling patterns: repeated irregular contracts totaling billions, unapproved expenditures, and questionable fund transfers. Notably, a 2 billion FCFA guarantee fund was deposited with Ecobank without clear documentation regarding its origin, management, or purpose. Additionally, 13 bank accounts—far exceeding the three initially recorded—were allegedly used to distribute 864.8 million FCFA in undocumented funds. A stockpile of 800 unused, malfunctioning laptops remains in storage at Cheikh Anta Diop University.

Investigation targets multiple officials across key institutions

The inquiry will examine the roles of ministers, directors, and heads of service who oversaw the program since 2017. Targeted entities include the Ministry of Higher Education, the Ministry of Finance and Budget, higher education leadership bodies, the Dcmp, and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (Arcop).

One glaring case involves a 2023 payment of 1.446 billion FCFA to a non-contracting intermediary entity for 7,055 laptops, with no valid agreement found for that fiscal year. The state reportedly faces double payment obligations in this matter.

Sonko’s group emphasizes the gravity of these findings, citing potential economic and social repercussions that justify a thorough parliamentary probe. By invoking the National Assembly’s internal regulations, they aim to hold all responsible parties accountable for these alleged financial misconducts.