The Tribune

THE One Family Junkanoo Group was named the unofficial winner of the 2014 Boxing Day parade late Saturday evening after hours of drama and confusion. (FULL RESULTS HERE)

The Shell Saxons Superstars took second place, although it was initially reported by Junkanoo officials that the group had won the parade.

The Roots Junkanoo Group placed third and the Valley Boys fourth, according to Douglas Hanna, chairman of Junkanoo’s Parade Management Team.

The Prodigal Sons and the Music Makers were disqualified from the category A competition. Music Makers, The Tribune understands, did not have enough lead pieces and the Prodigal Sons did not have enough participants to conform to A group standards.

The change in the results prompted Percy “Vola” Francis, the leader of the Saxons, to call for the resignation of the Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence (JCNP). He said Saxons members were upset with the scoring.

The Tribune understands some groups plan to appeal the results.

The unofficial results were expected around the usual time of 6pm on Friday at Arawak Cay and hundreds of Junkanoo fans descended on the area, some waiting for hours.

They waited in vain, however, as Mr Hanna later informed them that the results would come at noon on Saturday, causing some to express fury at the delay.

The next day, in front of a smaller crowd Mr Hanna named Saxons the unofficial winner of the Junkanoo parade, followed by Roots, One Family and Valley Boys.

At the time, Mr Hanna said the results did not take into consideration all the categories from the parade, prompting many to wonder why he delivered the incomplete results at all.

“Why did we just announce those and not the rest? Because I already put my credibility more on the line and told persons that I would be here at 12 o’clock to announce. So I came with what I have so at least the persons would know those unofficial results – I don’t have the rest,” he told reporters at Arawak Cay on Saturday afternoon.

Later that night he called a press conference to deliver the revised results.

“I do not tabulate scores,” he said when questioned about giving incomplete scores earlier that day. “Scores go to the tally room. All the group reps are there, along with our returning officer and the accountants. When all of the scores have been looked at the accountants then do the final tabulation for the unofficial scores. They gave me the sheet of paper, the paper that I took to Arawak Cay today with the promise that I would get the full sheet later.

“When I got the full sheet, the accountants said there was a mistake with the positions, and they gave me the corrected one and that is what I read just now.”

He added: “When I got these corrected scores from the accountants, I came to a meeting here with the JCNP and told them what I got from the accountants. There was a big disagreement over whether I should make this announcement tonight.

“But I hadn’t given the complete scores earlier today so I had to give the complete scores as I got them from the accountants and that is what I just did. I guess a lot of the groups are not in agreement that I did this ...”

The Tribune understands that Saxons members and fans were in the midst of a big celebration at Masons Addition when they learned of the revised results.

One Family rushed under the theme “Gone but not forgotten, forever in our hearts.” The group’s lead costume paid homage to the late Bahamas Faith Ministries pastor Dr Myles Munroe, who died in a plane crash on November 9 with eight others.

The Valley Boys rushed under the theme “A Glorious Celebration of Christmas” while the Roots rushed under the theme “Mysteries of 10,000 BC.” The Saxons rushed under the theme “It’s still better in the Bahamas.”

Darron Turnquest, chairman of the One Family organisation, expressed gratitude on behalf of his group for its victory.

“One Family was extremely excited to hear the most updated results that took place (Saturday evening),” he said. “We came out with what we thought was a beautiful theme and we really paid homage to those individuals that we lost throughout the year, some that belonged to the group and some that belonged to the nation at large. When we look at our execution, our choreography, our music, we are extremely proud to have walked away as winners.”