St. George’s, February 16, 2011 – The Ministry of Culture has described as “mischievous’’ claims that government did not meet certain unspecified “obligations’’ to facilitate the participation of Otis in the 2011 International Power Soca Competition in Trinidad and Tobago.
“It is amazing that a media house that is supposed to be responsible could continue peddling information to the public that is based on hearsay. I can only conclude that they are being mischievous,’’ Senator Arley Gill said Wednesday.
Sen. Gill, the Minister responsible for Culture and Information, was responding to a news story on CC6 which said that Otis – the reigning Soca Monarch of Grenada – did not get a bye into the final of the Power Soca Competition because the Ministry of Culture did not meet “certain obligations’’ to Caribbean Prestige Foundation headed by Grenada-born, William Munroe.
“There are no existing agreements with Caribbean Prestige Foundation that we are aware of in the Ministry of Culture, the Grenada Cultural Foundation or the Grenada Carnival Committee,’’ Sen. Gill said.
“To the best of my knowledge, there is no agreement and no agreement was signed,’’ he added. “So if there is no agreement, how can Mr. Munroe or anyone else say we are not meeting our so-called obligations?’’
Mr. Munroe, the Culture Minister said, “has never communicated, either in writing or verbally, what those obligations are supposed to be. I made that quite clear to a CC6 reporter several weeks ago. Yet, the station continues to report as true, information that they garnered from Mr. Munroe based on conversation they apparently had with him. We can only conclude that this is a case of mischief on one side and of attempted blackmail on the other. This government will not be blackmailed by anyone.’’
Last year, Mr. Munroe was facilitated to hold a news conference in Grenada to promote his International Soca Competition.
Apart from the press conference, “nothing was put in place or agreed to, going forward,’’ Sen. Gill said.
One Grenadian artiste, Tallpree, was selected to perform in the final of the Power Soca Monarch final in Trinidad next month.
Others in the final are Bunji Garlin, Destra, Fay-Ann Lyons, Iwer George, JW & Blaze, Machel Montano HD, Michelle Xavier, Nadia Batson/Patrice Roberts, Ravi B, and Shal Marshall.
Sen. Gill, who was in Trinidad last week on government business, said he met with both Tallpree and Otis and promised them whatever state assistance is possible, should they reach the final of the competition.
“Since reaching the final, Tallpree has contacted me with certain specific requests and I’m working at trying to meet his requests so that he can give the best possible performance in the final,’’ said Sen. Gill.