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VOLUME:117 No.45, JANUARY 28TH, 2020
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WOMAN: A PLACE IN LIFE TOLD IN POETRY SHOWCASE
That’s it - we quit
Valley Boys resign in protest over loss of Boxing Day title By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net THE Valley Boys resigned from the Junkanoo Corporation New Providence (JCNP) yesterday, saying they will no longer participate in upcoming parades managed by the body. The bombshell announcement came after parade management team chairman, Anthen Mortimer, announced the Saxons Superstars were crowned the official winners of the Boxing Day and New Year’s Day parades and Valley Boys took second place in both events. With 81.44 points, Valley Boys were the unofficial Boxing Day parade winners and the Saxons initially came in a close second with 80.01 points. However, the official results put the Saxons in first place with 85.01 points and Valley Boys in second with 81.44
STUDENTS STAY PUT FOR NOW
points after a three-point penalty. In a statement posted to the Valley Boys’ Facebook page, group chairman Brian Adderley said: “We trust that a new entity will be put in place to manage future Boxing Day and New Year’s Day parades so that justice and fairness can prevail in future Junkanoo competitions.” At a press conference yesterday, the JNCP said the decision was disappointing. However the body conceded that in light of the protest over unofficial Junkanoo scores this parade season, the Independent Review Committee (IRC) and “protest procedures in general” need to be reviewed. The JCNP said it is committed to reforming this “segment of the parade aftermath in short order” ahead of the 2020/2021 parades.
By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net
AS the government continues to closely monitor the deadly coronavirus in China, Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield said yesterday that officials see “no real reason” to evacuate Bahamians studying in Wuhan. “(Evacuation) is not a consideration for us at the moment,” the minister told reporters at an agreement signing yesterday. SEE PAGE FIVE
US URGED TO AMEND WARNINGS
SEE PAGE THREE
ASSISTANT Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander did not report to the Ministry of Health yesterday, but is actively handling its security matters since being briefed by the minister of health, according to his attorney. Attorney Wayne Munroe told The Tribune that the physical presence of ACP Fernander is not needed at the Ministry of Health and that the senior officer is
addressing security concerns relating to the ministry. “He is not at the Ministry of Health; he does not have any police resources at the Ministry of Health. When he said he will carry out his duties, people must have thought that he will follow instructions blindly, but that’s not the case,” said Mr Munroe, QC. After returning from forced vacation leave last week, ACP Fernander was given a letter informing him to report for a “special SEE PAGE SIX
TONY KEEPS ON RUNNING - AND GIVING BACK
SEE PAGE EIGHT
FERNANDER TAKES ON NEW JOB - BY REMOTE By SYANN THOMPSON Tribune Staff Reporter sthompson@tribunemedia.net
FACE-TO-FACE
By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE VALLEY Boys on Bay Street at Boxing Day’s Junkanoo parade. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
THE government believes travel advisories issued by the US State Department should be revisited, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield, who stated yesterday the warnings “are counterproductive” to the country’s tourism industry. The issue, the foreign affairs minister said, was among the many topics discussed with US Secretary of SEE PAGE SEVEN
2019 CAR SALES HIGHEST IN 5 YEARS sport By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
AUTO dealers received a “badly needed shot in the arm” from 2019’s 31.18 percent sales increase, it was revealed yesterday, marking the industry’s best performance since VAT’s arrival. Fred Albury, the Bahamas Motor Dealers Association’s president, told Tribune Business the sector
will gain more “breathing space” if 2020 holds at last year’s total following
a 430-unit year-over-year increase in new auto sales for that 12-month period. Acknowledging that 2019’s surge will be difficult to match, especially given that post-Dorian vehicle replacement is likely to “taper off”, Mr Albury said he was working to the assumption that 2020 sales will be flat to slightly up following the industry’s best showing in the five years since 2014.
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HIELD SCORES CAREER HIGH IN OVERTIME WIN FOR KINGS