More Details Emerge on NICH President Sapna Budhrani

Sapna Budhrani

NICH President Sapna Budhrani remains in the hot seat after being called out in the media by Music Ambassador Shyne Barrow who threw her under the bus for her appointment as president while still retaining the post of administrator. This morning, a meeting was held to discuss the allegations made, the result of that discussion have not been revealed. News Five is privy to the contents of internal documents from the National Institute of Culture and History, in respect of serious concerns that are being raised.  Those issues stem from the existing financial affairs of the statutory body under Budhrani’s leadership.  On Tuesday, Music Ambassador Shyne Barrow called to question her qualification, saying that Budhrani, for all intents and purposes, was simply installed to the post.  While the memos acknowledge that certain monies are unaccounted for, they do not directly inculpate the NICH president; however, it is seen as a black-eye on her ability to manage the organization.  In another sheaf of documents that we have been shown, questions are also being raised about fuel consumption for Budhrani’s assigned vehicle.

Shyne Barrow

Shyne Barrow, Music Ambassador

“I share that. Certainly, I have to prove myself but I sold millions of records. I have been in the music industry for twenty years and to this day I have a deal with Universal Music Group to do a film about my life. So, even with my credential, my Grammy awards, the multiple plaques that I have in music, I have had to prove myself and I look forward to the challenge. But I don’t get that sentiment from the new President of NICH. It seems that she was just installed. There wasn’t even an interview done when she was made administrator when the previous administrator went through an interview process as is normal. So, I share those concerns. I share those concerns and it is up to her to prove, to disprove that, to dispel that, and I don’t know what it is that she is doing. I express concerns and I get no response from the Minister of Culture, and I get no response from the President herself. So, I do think those concerns are not far-fetched.  There is not even a budget for NICH and we are in August. There is no budget – no budget approved and there is no work plan approved. So, these are all things that should give us great concern. Whereas, when you take on the Presidency, you should have a vision, a mandate and be ready to lead. Right now, it is just like they put someone there to put someone there and I am very concerned about that. Because the results are adversely affecting all that we have worked so hard to build.”

Andrea Polanco

“Mr. Barrow, how did this happen? Is this someone who was handpicked by a certain individual, perhaps, in this case, the minister?”

Shyne Barrow

“I would presume so. No one knows where Sapna Budhrani comes from. No one.  No one knows her in the creative sector or the culture sector. So, again, we understand that as the one in authority you have discretion but I certainly think there needs to be collective consensus and certainly when everyone, and when I say everyone feels the way that I feel, I am talking everyone.  Even C.E.O.’s and directors feel the way that I feel. So, it is not a Shyne thing where I di pick pahn poor Sapna. So, everuone expresses the concerns that I have and I think this is a judgment call and definitely something that will be taken into consideration when you look at the kinds of judgment that are being made.”

News Five requested an interview with Budhrani, but we were informed through NICH’s communications officer that she was unavailable for comment until sometime in the near future.