This came from a group leader who was present for a meeting with Prime Minister Perry Christie on Friday, but the Ministry responsible for the parades remained tight-lipped on the issue.
Following Friday’s meeting, Mr. Christie and Junkanoo groups agreed that it would make more sense to award the one-year contract, rather than five-year contract.
In turn, Mr. Christie and Minister Wisdom met with principals of C3 on Saturday. The results of that meeting were supposed to be known at the contract signing yesterday.
And, although Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Neville Wisdom has repeatedly said the contract with C3 was signed, he told The Guardian on Monday that, the Attorney General’s Office spent the majority of its day on Monday “writing up” the contract.
Junkanoo groups were invited to the contract signing on Monday to further voice their concerns about the two-week dispute, but it was postponed until today.
Like last year, Mr. Wisdom is being scrutinized for not including groups in the seating and ticketing negotiations and, instead, said a five-year contract was awarded to C3 to provide those services. The bleachers would become the Government’s property with a 15-year warranty and 10 per cent of revenue earned from ticketing.
The Junkanoo groups also proposed to implement an administration comprising of the Government’s National Junkanoo Committee (NJC) or Junkanooers themselves, who will control 20 per cent of the profits the first year, 40 per cent the second, 60 per cent the third, 80 per cent the fourth and 100 per cent the last year.
After negotiations broke down with the minister, the groups met with Mr. Christie. Now, they are hopeful that after the “fruitful” meeting, the proposed administration may come to fruition.
A group leader, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said Mr. Christie seemed very responsive to the idea of forming a group outside of the NJC.
“We have even labeled a few people that could head this group, and we’re looking to have it put together as early as January,” said the group leader. “When we form this administration, we need to identify someone who is well-versed in marketing, professionally, equipped in all aspects. It has to be more than just you can rush and paste. It has to be the whole thing.”
Until then, groups have decided to step aside and allow the “young” Bahamian company to earn as much money as it can at the upcoming junior and senior parades and watch their profits closely.
The group leader said, “We have nothing against them. We have no problem making a profit. We just don’t want them to control the gates. But, now its said and done, and we are satisfied following the negotiations with the prime minister.”
The contract signing is slated for 1 p.m. on today at the Churchill Building.
By Khashan Poitier, The Nassau Guardian
