The JCNP and The Ministry of Culture has not had a legit contract to manage Junkanoo since 2012 – WHY? BP calls on DECENT AG LEO RYAN PINDER TO EXERCISE HIS CONSTITUTIONAL POWERS TO BRING ORDER TO THIS DISORDER!
NASSAU| The comments on Tuesday evening released by the Minister of Culture Mario Bowleg and the Chairman of the JCNP have further compounded the confusion in the eyes of the public in the debate swirling around the Valley Boys.
The Minister suggested inbhis statemenr that it is agreed that both “VALLEY BOYS” will get seed funding from the Ministry. This bold statement is UNTRUE and must be quickly corrected.
To further compound the misinformation, the JCNP released an unsigned statement which in text repeated the comments of the Minister: “… participation of both Valley Boys Junkanoo Organizations in the upcoming Boxing Day 2024 and New Year’s Day 2025 Junkanoo Parades.”
Bahamas Press advises the Attorney General of the Bahamas to bring clarity to this misinformation now being carried and shared by his Minister, who we believe should understand more about the rules which govern non-profits collecting public money.
1) There is only ONE REGISTERED “Valley Boys Junkanoo Group” which has been registered and notified by the Government Registrar. The Valley Boys – THE WORLD FAMOUS will be stuck from the records of the REGISTRAR by September 19th, 2024. This latter group was registered not by Brian Adderley but Moon Archer.
2) It is a national embarrassment for a Cabinet Minister to suggest there are two Valley Boys when he knows full well – and has been duly advised by notice of his Attorney General the full clarity in the matter – that ONLY ONE VALLEY BOYS will be listed on the registrar to be entitled $30,000 seed money for the upcoming parade. Now it is the Minister’s decision to assist any other group to rush and support them with public funds. But again there is ONLY ONE VALLEY BOYS! ONE! How much time do we have to repeat that for the JCNP and The Minister to understand that?! Boy, yinner slow bad!
3) We invite Minister Mario Bowleg to take a closer look into his agreement between the management of the Parades. This is an entirely different matter now which we at BP believe is important for both the Minister and The Attorney General of the Bahamas to consider.
The JCNP has not had a legitimate standing agreement with the Government of the Bahamas since 2011. Between the years 2007 to 2011 when the last contract expired, the Bahamas Government failed to engage a lawful agreement with the management group for the Boxing and New Years Day Parade. How is this?
In 2022 an attempt was made to enter a new agreement with the JCNP and the Bahamas Government, however that agreement has not been signed off on. We at Bahamas Press wonder why? And therein lies our concerns with the present management structure and erratic statements now coming out of the JCNP which seeks to make legitimate groups obsolete, while groups with NO LEGAL STRUCTURE, NO ACCOUNTABILITY, NO TRANSPARENCY NOR, IN. THIS CASE, NO PROPER REGISTRATION WITH THE AGENCIES OF THE GOVERNMENT legit?! How we get so lawless and illegal around here?
We ask again how can any Junkanoo Group get TAX MONEY and not account for it! Has had no proper registration to collect it! And is being promoted to collect more? HOW YINNER DOES DO THAT?!
Bahamas Press advises our decent competent Attorney General who by power of the Constitution of the Bahamas has the Authority by his office to bring correction to this chaos and confusion brought on by the Minister of Culture and the JCNP!
AND LET US BE CLEAR…WE KNOW MORE THAN WHAT WE SAY HERE TODAY!
We report yinner decide!
