Bandleaders want Leacock removed

KINNESHA GEORGE-HARRY

Co-chairman of the Tobago Mas Bands Leaders Terrence Sandiford has called for the resignation of Tobago Festivals Commission festivals director George Leacock. The mas fraternity was the second Carnival interest group to call for Leacock's head this season, coming four weeks after the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians' Organisation (TUCO) Tobago branch renewed its feud with Leacock. TUCO Tobago failed to reach a consensus on funding for Carnival 2020 and decided to cancel all its competitions.

Sandiford spoke to reporters on Thursday before releasing the results of the Carnival 2020 mas competitions at the organisation's Scarborough office. He said Tobago Carnival is in urgent need of the right people to properly manage its affairs.

“We still call for Mr Leacock to go because we think he is not good for the festival and it can only get worse if he continues."

He said although Carnival was finished, the protest would continue "in subtle ways.”

His colleague Jemma Bedlow-Dennis echoed Sandiford’s sentiments.

“To get an item from the commission, you have to write George. I don’t understand that. That is what I don’t understand.”

“You were dismissed as the chairman of the Festivals Commission. Who bring you back in there? Tobagonians was glad. I’m not asking, I am saying it plain and clear…it was on the ground, they were glad. He was never introduced as no festivals director… lo and behold, you are the festivals director.

"We were ridiculed. We were looking as though we don’t know what we were doing, trying to make us look bad…to let those in authority say we can’t run nothing, bring it back into the Festival Commission hands.”

Leacock told Newsday recently it is the commission’s board that holds the real power.

"The board of the (commission) runs the Carnival and I follow the instruction," he said last month.

Bedlow-Dennis said the mas leaders are well capable of running its affairs.

“Let me tell the authority something: they would never get back mas in hand. The bandleaders have worked hard enough to have their own organisation and once I am there, with them putting me there, I will fight anybody to give mas its just due. Yes, we had some hiccups along the way – it can be solved.”

Bedlow-Dennis said the mas fraternity submitted a budget of $3.5 million to the commission but to date they had not received their allotment.

“No one, from the head to the tail, has (told) Tobago mas bands what they’re playing for. I have asked that many times, 'Can you tell me the allocation for mas?' I am still waiting on that. Tobago mas bandleaders have not received any funds to date. For Carnival, the only thing that we got from the commission was ten cases of water and that was to take us through the entire Carnival period.”

The Tobago Festivals Commission, which was established in May 2010, is responsible for planning, co-ordinating and implementing Tobago's tourism and cultural festivals.

However, unlike calypso, Bedlow-Dennis said the mas fraternity gave the commission an ultimatum, days before Carnival.

“In a meeting with the board, including Mr Leacock, I asked the question, what is the allocation for mas, and his answer was, prizes is $1.9 million.”

She said she rejected that figure.

“I gathered my bandleaders, because they are not playing for that. We had a meeting with the board again, under (acting chairman) Ms Penelope (Williams). I said to Ms Penelope quietly, if I don’t get back 2016, 2017 and 2018 prizes, there would be no mas on the road for Carnival.

“We sat and we ironed it out. They agreed to giving back the mas their prizes from 2016, 2017 and 2018. The band of the year (prize) is $120,000,” she said, adding that the total funds for the prizes were $2.1 million.

Sandiford interjected, saying members of the Tobago Mas Bands Leaders were called to a board meeting in October by then commission chairman Dr Suzanne Burke and given a memorandum of understanding to sign, authorising the group to take control of Scarborough Mas. Sandiford said initially, he saw this as an ideal situation as they expected a smooth relationship henceforth.

“Sad to say, some members on the Festivals Commission took it personally and decided to cast stones in the works on a continuous basis even up to Carnival Tuesday. So initially, when we thought we were holding hands and trying to improve the Carnival for the benefit of Tobago, we were always given the shaft,” he said.

He said the groups had asked the commission for a list of judges and service providers long in advance.

“We were never given any. The continuing aggravation and agitation by some members of the Festivals Commission brought about an adversarial position, that we had to stand up and even protest to get our right dues.

“When we accepted this position, we were really enthusiastic about doing Carnival in Tobago bigger and better, but sad to say, it didn’t happen.”

Sandiford said the issue should be discussed with the Tourism Secretary.

“We think that the board at the Tobago Festivals Commission should be dismantled, we feel that new persons should be in place, we feel that pan, mas an calypso should have representatives on the board, and so we would articulate a position as to how we go forward with that.”