Those hypocrites! That’s how Anthony Dennie, Carnival Development Committee shows Coordinator, described those calling for his resignation and removal.
Dennie has come under fire from several persons including Colin Graham and Luke Boyea for what they say is a blatant bias toward a particular calypsonian and discrediting the CDC.
Dennie who is also acting Operations Manager at VC3 is being accused in some circles of allegedly instructing staff not to broadcast a calypsonian’s song even after lawyers for the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) approved the lyrics.
On Monday morning, Colin Graham, an opposition talk show host, joined Luke Boyea, owner of Hot97, in calling for Dennie’s resignation.
According to Dennie, VC3 is governed by policies that take the necessary steps to protect itself should defamation be cited.
“VC3 reserves the right not to broadcast material deemed libelous. You can find our terms and conditions on our website. Zion-I is not targeted. We didn’t target Zion-I. We’re just erring on the side of caution after what transpired at the semifinals.”
Earlier on Monday Luke Boyea, the CEO of Hot97, said the CDC mandate is not the same as StarFM and called for Dennie’s resignation.
“The problem with this is that when you put on your CDC hat as head of promotions or whatever, you’re not fit for purpose because CDC mandates are different from Star FM mandates”.
“You can’t get into these things if you’re representing culture. As a CDC employee, he should be removed. It is impossible for him to represent culture in any way. Every time you don’t like a lyric, or if he thinks his government does not like a lyric, you have it removed. That’s not his decision and it’s unfit”, Boyea stated.
Dennie hosts the Star Morning Scoop program on Unity Labour Party-owned StarFM.
To Boyea’s call for his removal, Dennie reiterated the terms and conditions of VC3 and called Boyea and Hot97 hypocrites.
“Hot97 threw Luta and the reigning Soca Monarch Fireman Hooper to the dogs years ago by not playing their songs. Boyea and HOT97 who censored their songs when they had nothing wrong with them, want to come back and say certain things now, give me a break”, Dennie said.
NDP shadow Minister for Culture Nigel Stephenson said on Monday afternoon that the Dennie fiasco has public interest and should be raised in parliament. However, he says the speaker of the House has deemed a question he submitted for the next sitting in relation to the situation offensive to section 21 of the standing orders.
The question
“A member of the Carnival Development Committee was recently heard on a radio station making disparaging remarks about a popular calypso for Vincy Mas 2022. CDC has influence over the selection of judges in the calypso competition. Will the Minister, please explain the criteria for the selection of judges and what the CDC will do to assure the calypso fraternity and the public that there will be no discrimination against calypsonians”.
According to Stephenson, it is an issue of public interest. However, on Monday, Speaker Rochelle Forde emailed him about it.
“The Speaker of the House is entitled to make adjustments to questions. I don’t know since when. That has never been done since I’ve been in Parliament until we have a new Speaker of the House. So she has an entitlement and amendments were made to my question. I’ll tell you which part of the question was taken out. In this part, a member of the Carnival Development Committee was recently heard on a radio station making disparaging remarks about a popular calypso for Vincy Mas 2022, that was struck out”.
“I shouldn’t take this to parliament. So the part that remains in there that is allowed is said, CDC has influence over the selection of judges. So I thought they didn’t want me to use CDC in the question. But the part that is allowed, says CDC has influence over the selection of judges in the competition”.
“According to the speaker, the part of the question removed violates standing order 21 subsection C”, Stephenson said.
