NCBA president David Lopez's appointment as a commissioner on the National Carnival Commission has been revoked by Arts and Multiculturalism Minister Lincoln Douglas.Sources close to Douglas said the appointment was revoked on Friday because Lopez refused to heed two requests to submit the NCBA's status report on Carnival 2015 to the ministry. Carnival took place on February 16 and 17.
The T&T Guardian was informed that Lopez did not heed the request for the report from the minister and a subsequent one from the ministry.The law governing the NCC provides for six commissioners to be appointed to the NCC board by the minister and three to be appointed by special interest organisations, the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (Tuco), Pan Trinbago and the National Carnival Bands Association (NCBA), the authorised organisation to represent mas bands.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Lopez confirmed the minister wrote him but in his "personal capacity" indicating that his appointment was revoked. That letter was received on Friday, Lopez added. Lopez said he was not on the NCC board in his personal capacity, adding that he was there as chairman of NCBA."He can't move me," Lopez said yesterday, asking "on what grounds he wants me to go."
Lopez said Douglas also wrote a second letter to the NCBA secretary asking that another person be recommended to represent the organisation on the NCC board.An emergency meeting of the NCBA is being held today to discuss the matter.Lopez said he wanted to know "what are the grounds under which the minister wants me to go?"
Lopez said he operates at the NCC "only at the level of the board, so what wrong have I done against the board, what infringement have I committed at the NCC board?"He also said he wanted Douglas to say "at what meeting was the decision taken to revoke my appointment and was I given any opportunity to defend myself? No, I was not."
Lopez said the minister was misguided on this matter, adding that the law gave the NCBA the authority to remove him. He insisted that he was not on the NCC board in a personal capacity but was there in his capacity as chairman of the NCBA. Lopez said he was seeking the interest of the mas fraternity.He said under the law "if the minister wanted my appointment revoked he was supposed to write to the NCBA indicating the reason or reasons and it would be up to the NCBA to have my appointment revoked. The NCBA can remove me, not the minister."
Douglas was unavailable for comment when the T&T Guardian attempted to reach him yesterday.