If one asks Mr. Wallace who won the 2004 New Year’s Day Junkanoo parade, he would say the Shell Saxons Superstars, despite the ruckus in junkanoo shacks and the appointment of an independent body to review the judges score sheets.
Furthermore, he said the independent committee, which comprises of Paul Adderley, Dr. Hervis Bain and Ishmael Lightbourne, could only reach the same decision as the NJC.
While Mr. Wallace may be right, Mr. Adderley on Thursday said that could only be determined at the conclusion of the investigation.
Earlier this month, the NJC told the press that a review committee found that with “the Saxons Superstars, there were discrepancies in the number of people in cloth, which ranged from a high of 100 to a low of eight. On the penalty form itself, the penalty marshals were in agreement that the range of 100 to eight was not satisfactory.”
Points were deducted from all of the ‘A’ groups, including a 240-point from the Saxons and a 210-point from the Valley Boys. As a result, the Saxons were declared the official winners in the New Year’s parade.
Presenting copies of the “official results” to Island FM and Guardian reporters on Wednesday, Mr. Wallace explained, “This is what we signed off on and this is what we agreed upon. I said to them, ‘Are you sure of this,’ and they said, ‘Yes, we have all agreed and signed off on 240’ … that is why the penalty points were deducted from the raw scores.”
According to Mr. Wallace, those points were 100 plus 40 plus 41 plus 80 plus eight, totalling 269/5, totalling 53.9, which was rounded off to 54. Based on NJC rules, only six people from each group are allowed to be in cloth. Each additional person will be penalised five points each, making the final tally 54 minus six, totalling 48 multiplied by five, totalling 240.
In response to calls for his resignation, Mr. Wallace said, “If the Junkanooers don’t think that we are doing a good job, we don’t have any difficulty at all with it. Personally, we do this for the love of the sport. If they can get some other people, fine. We have no difficulty with that.”
The prolonged controversy over which group won the parade marks the day that junkanoo has transformed into a competition, rather than a cultural event, he noted.
“Something is being lost,” Mr. Wallace added. “Junkanooers have to decide where we’re headed. If they decide to stay and fight, then fine. We won’t be a part of it, but if we want to take this junkanoo to a higher level, which it ought to be, and give them the benefit of their hard work and labour, then that’s our agenda.”
Four groups ﾗ the Valley Boys, Roots, the Prodigal Sons and, the Saxons ﾗ have protested the unofficial and the official results, according to documents provided by Mr. Wallace.
Asked how he felt that an independent body was appointed to review the score sheets, Mr. Wallace said he has “no difficulty” with the ministry’s decision.
“The only way they can do their work if they see what we said. They have to look at this, because if they don’t have this sheet it is impossible for them to even come up with any decision,” Mr. Wallace said, adding, “We stand by this, whoever wants to take a look at this can look at it. They have to understand what our position is before they look at it.”
While Mr. Wallace spoke with the press, the independent body was meeting with ministry officials and received the judges score sheets.
Mr. Adderley predicted that it would take the group about two weeks to make a decision. The group will interview with several persons as to get a better understanding of the judging procedures and the details surrounding the calculating process.
Khashan Poitier, The Nassau Guardian
