National Carnival Commission (NCC) chairman Winston ‘Gypsy’ Peters says he feels somewhat disheartened that the Tobago House of Assembly has failed to resume talks on the upcoming Tobago Carnival celebrations in October.
Peters said on Monday that he remains in the dark over what is happening in Tobago for the inaugural event.
In a release issued on May 31, the NCC had said its officials met with Chief Secretary and Secretary of the Division of Finance, Trade and Industry Farley Augustine, Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation Secretary Tashia Burris and Assistant Secretary of the Division Megan Morrison to discuss the THA’s objectives and to offer support, if necessary, in hosting the Carnival, which is scheduled for October 28 to 30.
While Peters yesterday said that meeting was productive, he said he has not heard anything from THA officials since then.
“They have put their committee together without any input from us or anybody from the NCC to do anything, but it is disconcerting. I mean, at the end of the day, I am the person who fought hard to make sure Tobago Carnival was as it is and now, this segregating... yeah, it’s a bit so (disheartening) but I have a job to do and I have to treat it as a professional,” Peters said.
While Peters acknowledged the THA can run its own affairs, he said the NCC represents the entire nation.
“We do have a Central Government and I don’t know what the remit of the Central Government is in all of these things, but the last I checked we were the National Carnival Commission of Trinidad and Tobago. But, as of now, I don’t know what is happening in Tobago and I guess Tobago has the autonomy to run their own affairs.”
He added that there was never any request for funding from the THA during the first and only meeting. But Peters said he and the NCC remain open to assisting Tobago in staging its Carnival.
Contacted yesterday, however, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Randall Mitchell said the THA was well within its right to organise the event on its own.
“Tourism, Culture and the Arts fall as areas of responsibility for the Assembly under the 5th Schedule to the Act. So those policy and planning decisions are entirely within their remit and responsibility,” Mitchell said.
Efforts to contact both Augustine and Burris were unsuccessful yesterday as they did not answer calls or return messages.
Last week, news emerged that a ten-member contingent from Tobago was in Grenada to promote the island’s Carnival, alongside organising a charter from Grenada to Tobago via the fast ferry for visitors to experience Tobago’s Carnival.
However, THA Minority Leader Kelvon Morris publicly raised queries and slammed the THA over the trip to Grenada’s Carnival, which he said cost approximately $291,094.
Morris questioned why it was necessary to send 10 people to Grenada and why the public was not informed before the trip.