After continued "pressure", I finally got the CEO of the Africa Trinidad & Tobago Steelpan Development Company (ATTSDC), Chief Bowie Sonnie Bowei, to answer questions posed at him. Although, he has been a WST member since Aug 2010, this was the most candid and verbose, the ATTSDC head has ever been, and this came only after his word that he would answer questions that I post to him. His responses made it clear, that he does not really know Pan Trinbago nor the other shareholder, FCL Financial, and his concern is strictly with the Nigerian pan players, leaving the onus on Pan Trinbago to see about the local "Trinbagonian" panman and panwoman. This contradicts the company's claim, that their goals include the pan players in Trinidad and Tobago. Anyway, I leave it up to the reader to "read between the lines..."
These are the questions I posed, and his responses. Uncut.
QUESTION 1: How long have you had a business relationship with Pan Trinbago, and how did this come about?
CHIEF BOWEI: I have known pan Trinbago for about a year and the relationship was started when they came to Nigeria in August last year on a fact finding mission with Nigeria- TT chamber on how to do pan business in Nigeria.
QUESTION 2: If, as Pan Trinbago claims, they are the “non profit, World governing body for pan”, why did you set it fit, to form your own steelband association in Nigeria, and was this association, also formed in joint-partnership with Pan Trinbago? If not, why?
CHIEF BOWEI: Nigeria Steelpan assoc was formed before I met Pan Trinbago and has nothing to do with them. This is for the Nigerian panmen and is still very weak. Infact, they should not be mentioned in this matter because readers from Nigeria won’t even know what you are talking about.
QUESTION 3: Why isn’t your steelband association, like Pan Trinbago, a partner in the ATTSDC?
CHIEF BOWEI: The assoc is still at a premature level and cannot offer me any technical support.
QUESTION 4: As far as you know, can “non profit associations”, legally conduct the kind of (for profit)business, as does Pan Trinbago, in being a “shareholder” of a privately-held limited liability company, in Nigeria or anywhere else?
CHIEF BOWEI: We are not buying into Pan Trinbago but offering them an opportunity to make money for the benefit of the Pan community in TT. In Nigeria, NGO are given the opportunity to raise funds for sustenance.
QUESTION 5: Can you articulate for us (not me), EXACTLY how this three-shareholder LLC, will benefit the average panman or panwoman in Trinidad & Tobago?
CHIEF BOWEI: It is not my responsibility to benefit the panmen of Trinidad since 55% of the shares of the company have been offered to TT already. Don’t you expect Nigerians to benefit from the project as well, after all, the money is made in Nigeria.
QUESTION 6: Are “Trinbagonians” wrong, for being wary and suspicious, of anyone who unilaterally forms private companies, intended to exploit the resources of our national instrument for financial gain, citizen or non-citizen?
CHIEF BOWEI: I would like to know if there are laws put in place to prevent the promotion of Pan in Africa. If there are, I should have been stopped from promoting pan in Nigeria when i started ten years ago. More so, the financial gains are being shared between Nigeria and TT, with TT getting the larger proportion when this can be achieved by employing and paying panmen who are willing to come to Nigeria for their services without taking a whopping 55%.
QUESTION 7: When the ATTSDC were accepting applications for employment in their newly-formed company, why didn’t you post those positions on this WST forum, or on Pan Trinbago’s – a shareholder, and “world governing body for pan” – website?http://www.linkedin.com/groups/AFRICATRINIDAD-TOBAGO-STEELPAN-DEVEL
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CHIEF BOWEI: All the positions are meant for Nigerians, except two. WST also picked it and posted on their site almost immediately after the post came up on a Nigerian site so I am aware that others with interest would have seen this. Also, since we have partners that represent TT, it is our responsibility to take care of Nigerians while they take care of Trinbagonians, as such, they should have posted same on their site.
QUESTION 8: What is Nigeria’s track record, when it comes to “corporations” (especially “Big Oil” companies) versus the “native tribes”, politically, environmentally, and socially speaking?
CHIEF BOWEI: Such corporations have existed successfully in Nigeria for decades except for where natives are being robbed by foreign companies. We are located in a city and do not expect any of such experiences.
QUESTION 9: What is Nigeria’s track record on political activism and protests, and would you say that Trinidad & Tobago’s track record, is not as violent, oppressive, and as controlled by “big business”?
CHIEF BOWEI: Politics in Nigeria has no place in this organisation
QUESTION 10: Is January of this year, the Nigerian Tribune, in a report, it was noted that “Runsewe revealed that Nigeria and the Caribbean country share a historical connection dating back to 1924, maintaining that the ties should be sustained for the mutual benefit of tourism promotion in both countries…He agreed to the Envoy’s request by promising to brand the Desperadoes Steel band with Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago emblems, arrange for top Nigerian acts to perform during the carnival alongside the Desperadoes Steel-band and suggested that a joint press conference featuring top musicians and Nollywood stars should also be organized in Lagos as this will translate to maximum publicity and appreciation for the steel orchestra.” Do you agree that (a) our “historical connection” only goes back 80-plus years, and, (b) it benefits the rest of Trinidad & Tobago steelbands, to have ONLY that one steelband receive such promotion and branding, and if so, how?
CHIEF BOWEI: Please quote me anywhere.. Runsewe lied to the envoy which I was part of and was nowhere to be found when Desperadoes visited Nigeria. From experience, it is best to keep government business in Nigeria away from private business as a lot of unfulfilled promises are made by govt in Nigeria, everyday! Again, we can not have all the steelbands in Trinidad come to Nigeria at the same time when only one band is required. We have plans for projects where all the steelbands in Trinidad will send representatives to Nigeria so all the bands can benefit.
QUESTION 11: Further, why wasn’t Excel Steelband, the Nigerian steelband association, Pan Trinbago, or any of the ATTSDC board members, a part of this “envoy” (above), or even mentioned in the article? http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/tourism/34491-trinidad-and-tobago-s
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CHIEF BOWEI: The article was politically motivated. I was part of the envoy representing Xcel, ATTSDC and the Nigerian Steelpan Assoc., pan Trinbago had Diaz there and NTTC had Mrs Franklin there but they chose not to mention any of us.
QUESTION 12: Why was the media allowed to listen in on the meeting for thirty minutes, only to be asked to leave, as it was “private”? Didn’t they know the meeting was “private” prior to starting the meeting? And how do you respond to Pan Buzz’s article on this issue with the media?http://www.guardian.co.tt/entertainment/2012-07-19/that%E2%80%99s-i
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CHIEF BOWEI: Are you talking about the media in Nigeria? Nothing like that ever happened. In Trinidad as well, I never witnessed any such thing. If this has to do with the Pan Trinbago/ media issue, I am in no position to comment on this.
QUESTION 13: Do you think that the image Pan Trinbago continues to create for itself, benefits any business partnerships they enter into, and is this the “corporate image” that the ATTSDC founders envisioned, which resembles that of the same “big oil” corporations, that continue to exploit the resources and destroy the environment of Nigeria? (I will publish my current research on this issue.)
CHIEF BOWEI: Of course not! The Nigerian directors are concerned about the image of the company being dragged into the mud, not by Nigerians this time, and in fact, denting the very good image that Xcel has enjoyed within the pan community. A decision will be taken on this very soon, after our deliberations and recommendations.
QUESTION 14: Finally, as a partner with Pan Trinbago, can you understand local “Trinbagonians”, whom may feel that you should also be held accountable, as a willing and knowing part of business practices, that are suspicious and clandestine, at least, and unethical and unlawful, at most”?
CHIEF BOWEI: That will be very unfair of them because from when we started plans for this company, I personally posted updates on WST. Nobody advised that the situation was this bad until the company was launched. If we had seen all this venom, we would have had a rethink and probably, gone to Canada or USA for our needs. I hope this answers your questions??
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