Former Minister Criticizes NCF Handling of Key Events at Crop Over Festival

A former minister of culture has accused the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) of dropping the ball during some of the major events at this year’s Crop Over Festival.

Stephen Lashley, who was minister in 2010 under the Democratic Labour Party administration, said he believed the situation warranted a “surgical review” by the NCF as, according to him, the planning that went into some of the events was not the “normal standard”.

“My observations had to do mainly with the execution of events. And my concern was that it seemed as though that in several respects, the NCF had dropped the ball,” he told the MIDWEEK NATION yesterday.

He made reference to the night of the Pic O De Crop Finals at the National Botanical Gardens in Waterford, St Michael, where there were glitches.

“The Finals started, I think, about an hour and something late. There seemed to have been technical issues and the show was interrupted – Kid Site was interrupted. I mean, you will have delays, but my concern is more about the planning and logistics.

“Then, there were the issues relating to the Junior Monarch that had to be rescheduled and stuff like that. Whereas in the past, we actually would have had two venues set up, FORMER MINISTER OF CULTURE

Stephen Lashley. (FP)

which is the Gymnasium and also the event where it was going to be held. My understanding was that the Gymnasium was not booked, so that’s

why they had to actually reschedule it completely,” said an unimpressed Lashley.

He also mentioned the postponement of Soca 5.0 from Sunday to last night and the late start of the parade of the bands in FLOW Grand Kadooment on Monday.

“I think it was a letdown in terms of the 50th anniversary. Fifty is supposed to be a significant happening; it shows that you have come of age. These issues that you have had, to me, are not issues that you could have an excuse for because these required planning. If you don’t plan effectively it means that this is what happens. This is the festival that injects quite a bit of money into the economy; generates a lot of people’s livelihood. So you can’t afford not to get it right.”

Lashley also expressed concern about the utilisation of the Botanical Gardens for events.

“I think one of the things they have to do is to relook the use of the Botanical Gardens as well, because the question that I would ask is, what does it cost the Government to stage these events at the Botanical Gardens? And due to the fact that you have, let’s say, Kensington Oval, which already has infrastructure. At Botanical Gardens you have to create new infrastructure.