Gambiaj.com – (DAKAR, Senegal) – Barely a few weeks into his tenure, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye made a bold commitment to transparency and accountability, instructing the immediate publication of reports from the National Office for the Fight against Fraud and Corruption (Ofnac) and the Court of Auditors—documents that had long gathered dust in government drawers. These reports have since seen the light of day, marking a significant shift in the country’s approach to accountability.

However, one glaring exception to this new era of openness has emerged: the reports from the General State Inspectorate (IGE), the body tasked with ensuring good governance across the country. Despite the President’s repeated pledges to prioritize transparency, the latest IGE report on the state of governance and accountability remains conspicuously absent from public view.

This missing report, covering the period of 2020–2021, has now been withheld for an extended period of nine months, despite the growing anticipation of the public and opposition parties. Critics argue that the delay in publishing these findings points to a deeper problem—perhaps a deliberate effort to suppress information that could be politically uncomfortable for the government.

While the President’s initial efforts to make public other control body reports have been applauded, the continued withholding of the IGE’s latest findings has raised concerns about the sincerity of his anti-corruption agenda. As the IGE operates directly under the authority of the President, its reports carry the weight of presidential directives, making its transparency crucial to the credibility of Faye’s promise to overhaul governance.

The IGE is responsible for inspecting all government services and departments, compiling comprehensive reports with actionable recommendations. Yet, the last time such a report was made public was for the period covering 2018–2019. Since then, no official release has been made, leaving the public to question the administration’s commitment to the very principles it claims to champion.

This lack of transparency has not gone unnoticed. Opposition parties have been quick to call out the government for what they perceive as a breakdown in accountability. “It’s one thing to release reports that may be politically convenient,” says an opposition spokesperson, “but it’s another to withhold those that could expose weaknesses in the system.”

As the pressure mounts, many wonder whether President Faye will hold fast to his promises or yield to political considerations that might delay, if not outright prevent, the release of these key governance documents. For now, the gap between his declared commitment to transparency and the actual actions of his office leaves a question mark over the future of the country’s anti-corruption efforts.

The eyes of the nation remain fixed on the President. Will he prioritize full transparency and the public’s right to know, or will political expediency win out?