A palpable tension filled the National Assembly chamber during Deputy Abdou Mbow’s recent address. Taking the podium, the parliamentarian painted a grim picture of the country’s state, unequivocally declaring, « il y a une crise dans ce pays » (there is a crisis in this country).
During his impassioned speech, Abdou Mbow specifically referenced the operations of the Customs and the DAF (Direction de l’Administration et des Finances). He then proceeded to condemn practices he believes jeopardize the nation’s public finances.
The deputy notably asserted that « quand d’anciens Premiers ministres se permettent d’utiliser des fonds destinés à la Casamance pour des raisons politiques, ce pays est en danger » (when former Prime Ministers allow themselves to use funds earmarked for Casamance for political reasons, this country is in danger). These weighty accusations, which Mbow did not elaborate upon further, immediately prompted an intervention from the President of the National Assembly, Ousmane Sonko.
On multiple occasions, the President of the National Assembly urged the deputy to « rester dans le thème » (stay on topic) as Abdou Mbow attempted to press his argument.
The deputy then invoked a prior incident involving Guy Marius Sagna, arguing that Sagna, during a previous intervention, had also made remarks that strayed beyond the scope of the subject under discussion. « Guy Marius Sagna est un député. Il a parlé, attaqué le président » (Guy Marius Sagna is a deputy. He spoke, attacked the president), Mbow contended.
Ousmane Sonko once again interrupted Abdou Mbow, reiterating his demand to adhere to the topic. Nevertheless, the parliamentarian persisted, asserting that Guy Marius Sagna himself had « sorti du sujet » (gone off-topic) without being prevented from developing his points.
« Donc, je dis bien que, dans ce pays, il faudrait qu’on comprenne que nous avons un pays en danger » (Therefore, I firmly state that, in this country, we must understand that we have a country in danger), Abdou Mbow forcefully declared.
As the deputy remained steadfast, the exchange grew even more heated. Ousmane Sonko then issued a stern warning: « Restez dans le thème ou vous quittez le pupitre » (Stay on topic or you leave the podium). The President of the National Assembly added, « Je ne souhaite pas que vous le quittiez de la même manière que la dernière fois » (I do not wish for you to leave it the same way as last time), alluding to a previous incident involving the parliamentarian within the assembly hall.
Abdou Mbow, refusing to yield, maintained his stance on the management of public funds. « On ne peut pas détourner nos fonds publics, venir à l’Assemblée nationale se réfugier. Les gens le diront » (We cannot divert our public funds and then come to the National Assembly to seek refuge. People will speak of it), he concluded.
