UPDATE: Val Cuffy resigns from DFC

Cuffy has tendered his resignation

 

Val Cuffy has resigned as Festival and Events Manager at the Dominica Festivals Committee (DFC), DNO has been reliably informed.

Cuffy was under a two-year contract at the DFC.

The matter appears to be connected with a decision by the DFC to terminate an agreement with eight-time calypso monarch, Dice, to perform at the Carnival Street Festival on Friday. The event was held to officially kick off the Carnival Season in Dominica.

Sources told DNO that Cuffy decided to quit because “he cannot take it anymore.”

The sources indicate that the resignation was handed in on Monday morning.

Hours before the event was expected to take place Dice received a letter signed by Cuffy saying he was instructed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Discover Dominica Authority Colin Piper to inform him that he was no longer required to perform at the event.

At the Calypso semi-finals on the weekend, Cuffy made his opinion known on the matter.

“When Val Cuffy says Calypso has to play, let the Calypso play,” he said.

There have been calls by some people on social media to boycott Bullseye Pharmacy, which is owned by Cuffy, over the entire matter.

However, according to Cuffy, everyone knows the truth.

“Now to my friends in the diaspora … all you know the truth,” he stated. “So please do not go out there and say to boycott Bullseye Pharmacy no…Bullseyes Pharmacy has nothing to do with it because when you get orders, who that call the tune is the piper, not Val Cuffy. Don’t put me in your business.”

He stated that Dice and others in the Calypso arena love the artform.

“We come every year to give you a great show,” Cuffy, who himself is a Calypsonian, said. “Kudos to the calypso association, nobody can stop us since 1975, that is why we are on our own and that’s why we live on.”

Last year Cuffy returned to the DFC, mere hours after walking off the job. He was working then as a consultant.

He walked out reportedly due to differences with Tourism Minister, Robert Tonge.

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60 Comments

  1. little yout
    January 30, 2018

    Robbie again, boy leave people business alone and go in your father business. you more need to resign than val. see what you doing to Dice? when you finish you saying you want to represent Roseau man, boy you have to bring plenty money for us and we will never vote for you ever!!!!!!

  2. Tony
    January 30, 2018

    Hello and good morning my people. Well Mr Cuffy I do respect you but I have a question for you. Now base on this article it seems like you saying that you didn’t support sending this letter to our most prolific entertainer “Dice”. Mr Cuffy you are a businessman therefore I would have to question your ability to understand contractual law since you know that the contract is binding. If you didn’t support informing Dice that his services is being terminated then how do you explain your name and signature on the case letter. Mr Cuffy if you didn’t support it then you should have resign and that would have prevented your name and signature from being used on the letter. I hold you and only you fully responsible for violating Dice contractual rights since you signed the letter voiding his contract. So tell us who called you from the Government telling you that Dice shouldn’t be allow to sing. It’s a simple tune, isn’t it.

  3. mine
    January 30, 2018

    Val God is in control of everything you should not be a coward. That song looters is condoning the wrong doing of others and that is wrong. Maria was mother nature but looters did worst damage. God is looking people he is looking.

  4. source
    January 29, 2018

    What has Piper done in his portfolio for all those years?

    • SAUCE
      January 30, 2018

      Source am sauce : Answer to ur question is as follows: Receiving his monthly BIG check.

  5. UDOHREADYET
    January 29, 2018

    If your signature is on a letter its YOU. Its understandable that you have bosses but you also have integrity. Im not certain if Dice performance is going to make things better worst of have no effect or if its just entertainment. As a professional own up to you area of accountability, good and bad. the emotional like dislike personal stuff is for children not for grown adult professionals… you make decision ,stand by it! Be a man! sometimes you have to make tough unpopular decisions… people are up and down but you must be steady and steadfast in your ideals. the public is there to be entertained they are not he ones doing the entertaining o managing the show. They don’t have to like you but they must respect you!

  6. Eddie
    January 29, 2018

    Since piper came in tourism it took a downhill this man is a leaving dead education is not common sense also is not forsight

  7. shopkeeper
    January 29, 2018

    Do Good Do Good. Just like is a cycle, good or bad that you doooo coming right back to youuuuu. I am a private small business owner and I have no government affiliation. I don’t know who looted my little store but I do know that I cannot recover. Maria, didn’t do anything to me, but the looters killed my business and my spirit. So, if you really was packing people things on your scooter, then you cannot be my king. Kings and thieves are on opposite ends. I have been in the crowd jumping jumping behind you in every show. Your number 1 fan. I hope this is just calypso and not your confession. I don’t know how much of a role model you can be now but I can only tell you to Do Good, Do Good…

    • Derryck
      January 30, 2018

      I am not sure you have a full understanding of the Calypso.

  8. Letricia CT
    January 29, 2018

    Val I commend you for standing up for what you believe and refusing to stand with those who chose to add to the marginalisation of artist and by extention the art form of the poor(slave) people. God will see you through it is not always about money but character and character matters. Bless up my brother…in your own farmiliar tone. “Who Jah bless no man curse”

    • Cabbage PA
      January 30, 2018

      Lettuceia CT I could have seconded you if ur friend Val had enough cojones to say no and resign then. he made himself a fool by putting the horse behind the cart ( my twist) Did he expect Collins to play horse by attaching himself to the cart when he Val had misplaced it? hahahahaha LMAO real loud.
      To say am disappointed with Val is to be nice to him. Val as thy saying in DA & elsewhere, the diaspora included look like the cojones lost wt too.

  9. anonymous2
    January 29, 2018

    Who can blame him. Enough gets to be enough very quickly in Dominica especially when one has to be the front man taking the blame for the higher ups giving the orders. The orders came from higher up than Piper. Cuffy isn’t getting the money that they do. It is all politics as usual in DA the censored.

  10. hashtag
    January 29, 2018

    But val papishow. Resigning after you sign letter? who cares anyway.
    Piper needs to go go go. tongue too.
    Is time qualifed people that want to move Dominica be appointed to thsee positions. Not a AFcK them ppl doing for this derriere doh country!

  11. Massacre
    January 29, 2018

    We need more stand-up men like Val Cuffy in Dominica. I for one will not stand by and support this Hench men we have in office for a Gov’t.
    For centuries carnival has always been about singing against the people in power and the wrongs that we have perceived them to be doing. So this Dice song is right in the heart of carnival.
    The DLP is now made up of some cry babies.
    Skerro Must Go!!

  12. Dr. Sam
    January 29, 2018

    Proud of you, Val!

    ‘Nuff said…

  13. Charmery
    January 29, 2018

    Val should have let Colin Piper write the letter, and then resign or vice versa. I love and enjoy Dice’s performances even if I am not his fan. It’s a shame though that year after year, our monarch cannot represent our country anywhere, because of the songs written for him. Can’t Pat Aaron surprise us one year with a song that’s not political? Why put Dice through this humiliation everytime? There are so many issues of social commentary, and even if there’s none, Dice can make magic with five nursery rhymes put together. Or isn’t Dice bold enough to seek another songwriter? Well maybe he wants to remain under the umbrella of Pat, who of course is an excellent writer. I would claim only 20% as his songwriter. Haha.

    • time to speak is now
      January 29, 2018

      what do you mean “he cannot represent us?” are you at the events in NY ?

      say he cannot represent the hand picking PM squad to go to Dubai …. he will always be a great calypsonian .. But can I say the same for the politicians?

    • Dominican
      January 30, 2018

      I disagree. Our yearly calypso output is a folks eye representation of events in our community. It gives the populace an opportunity to take those in authority down a strip or two and remind them that, especially at carnival, we are all supposed to be equal. It is a healthy safety valve to let out what most people cannot express during the rest of the and minimises their frustrations. May it long continue.

    • Truth Be Told
      January 30, 2018

      “Why put Dice through this humiliation everytime?” What is the humiliation? Eight (8) times calypso monarch is a humiliation? Only in Dominica!

  14. Ibo France
    January 29, 2018

    The biggest enemies of Dominica are the ENABLERS of bad governance . The oppressors seek comfort with the support of their apologists. Oppressive governments spread their tentacles far and wide…… in the Police Force, Electoral Office, Presidential Office, Speaker’s Chambers, Church and the Private Sector. Nothing escapes their unduly influence. What you have in Dominica is a textbook example of a slave plantation. Skerrit and his surrogates practise Plantation Politics. It would take brave men and women with courage and integrity to break their stranglehold on the country. Nothing lasts forever, neither good nor bad. Skerrit’s day of reckoning is fast approaching. God doesn’t like ugly.

  15. Maria
    January 29, 2018

    So what’s the reason for resigning after you sign the letter and disallow the performance of Dice? Acting on principle would be, you do not sign the letter and if they insist you resign, this is what you call a principled position.
    But Val ban Dice from the performance in accordance with his superior’s command and then he resigns. I do not get it. But again Val has resigned many times before and always comes back like a savior.

  16. was
    January 29, 2018

    let me clear the air. piper and skerrit is not friends. but piper bougois friends are the ones who have him there. the dominica bourgeoisie that have him there. skerrit fraid them so piper will remain there forever. until thy kingdom come. the minister of tourism said he knows nothing about that. but. piper is his own boss. piper doing what he wants when he wants. he has no respect for board nor ministers.
    if it was for praise he woulda sign the letter but the dirty work is for the house slave. piper can do no wrong according wrong according to roseau bougois who are skerrits advisors.

  17. Frank Talker
    January 29, 2018

    King Dice’s song is of poor taste; wormwood in the mouth of the business community. The country, especially the hard working entrepreneurs, were looted. Theses are the people who we turn to for sponsorships when we have an entertainment activity here, yet the first opportunity we got, we looted their stores. Some looters even dropped their faeces on the floor at some business places. The wound created by the looters are still wide opened. So for King Dice to come and sing this song about being a Hyena, is rubbing pepper in a fresh wound.

    • Norm
      January 29, 2018

      @ Frank Talker- Could you also addressed the issue of the law enforcement and government response?
      Sorry you don’t make any sense and you don’t know your history- stop talking because your are either bias, political, ill informed or just very stupid like a crab.

    • UDOHREADYET
      January 29, 2018

      You make a very good point!

    • Weekenz
      January 30, 2018

      That’s exactly right! If it was Scrunter they would be mad. SEe how they boo him for Mano. That’s all politics. He can be twelve time king he aint going nowhere except to put money in Pat pocket, which has a huge hole.

    • Dice Again
      January 30, 2018

      Kind Dice is not the one rubbing pepper in the wound, it is the one swear to serve and protect that let down the business community. Calypso is social commentry and the writer went in the heads of the looters. Great song.

    • JOE
      January 30, 2018

      Thank you Frank Talker, thank you very much these are my exact sentiments!!!!!

    • Interesting
      January 30, 2018

      What about Amnesia’s band with the names of the sections. Isn’t that inappropriate too? Why weren’t they banned from the same event? There was a huge public outcry at the names of the sections, event the wife of the PM defended her band by comparing it to calypso. Why isn’t censorship applied to all? Why the double standard? Frank Talker the basis of your argument in null and void if you are not applying the same principle to all. Everyone giving their opinion but no one is addressing the fundamental principle here.

  18. Music Producer
    January 29, 2018

    Allu agree that Dominica is finished? No, it’s not you say? 8-O Allu (3rd) eye still closed?

  19. Dominica
    January 29, 2018

    Val resign Again!!! Lol. He will come back with no announcement like the last time. The show must go on.

    Val should have stood up for Calypso by making Collin Piper write and sign his own letter. That way we would know that he was standing for calypso and calypsonians.

  20. Odin
    January 29, 2018

    Congrats to Val Cuffy for refusing to continue as a Scapegoat for his “superiors” wrongful actions.

  21. Progress
    January 29, 2018

    FIRE THE PIPER. So long PIPER in that position and he has ZERO results to show. Creole Festival a LOSS every year under PIPER. Can somebody please tell me why PIPER is still there? Does he have a contract that so airtight the government cannot fire him?

    • Paul Rossnof
      January 29, 2018

      No contract is that solid. The truth is he is one of Skerrits men.

  22. My name
    January 29, 2018

    PIPER has to resign too. Now who gave PIPER the tune to issue those orders??????. Nonsense is going on now and this incident opened more eyes. Thank you DA for standing.

  23. Waw
    January 29, 2018

    Well piper is god the lord. He can do no wrong in the eyes of certain people. The man has more power than the prime minister, than the minister, than the chairman of the board. They are all afraid of the piper.
    The prime minister cannot fire piper because certain people will be vex.
    Piper has failed, is failing yet he is still there. I feel sorry for tourisme in Dominica sorry for my country.
    Check the number of staff leaving DDA/DFC this will tell all.
    Piper is playing skerrit. Playing them cause he is far from being a supporter of The Party.
    Wake up domînicans

  24. Truth
    January 29, 2018

    Val, You are a hero to stand for calypso, Help save the art form ,

  25. - -
    January 29, 2018

    DUMINICANS!!!! Its as if we stop thinking! The letter Val sent was clear.

  26. Truth
    January 29, 2018

    we need more men like you val, This is the only way calypso is going to survive.

  27. January 29, 2018

    Way lay lay is that so

  28. Interesting
    January 29, 2018

    The better question is ‘Why can’t they retain whomever is in this role?’

  29. Concerned
    January 29, 2018

    Val was just the messenger here and does not deserve this attack. We all know when given directives by a boss we have to follow through or risk losing our jobs. In Val’s case he can afford to lose his job so he took a stance and resigned. There are many in this situation but does not have this option.

    The person that should be taking the heat is the person who gave DFC the direction on the matter.

    • Neg Maroon
      January 29, 2018

      While I concur with your point of reasoning I tend to differ that when given orders by a boss you have to follow through. Considering this statement I must ask whether the person who is ordered should carry out those orders even when they know the orders to be immoral and unethical?

  30. January 29, 2018

    Allegedly. Wrong pegs in Round Holes. No Nuts. Smh. Oh Dominica going Down slowly.

  31. January 29, 2018

    What goes around comes around. Examine the Horns, tell me something I do not kjow.

  32. Dominican Passports
    January 29, 2018

    Probably get too many death threats from Dumbnicans for taking a stand on dice thuggish Behavior, Dominica doomed, both laborats and Uwpee supporters suck

    • jihan
      January 29, 2018

      Another idiot keep putting dice down,i have been around this man for years and all he speaks is about the elite getting wealthy while the poor continue to struggle,but i guess you get some of the handouts from the regime so i dont blame you fool,hope your kids turn out to be perfect,thug will be right in your face,you damn fool.

    • Concerned
      January 29, 2018

      The issue has nothing to do with Dice “thuggish behavior” It was a matter on the lyrical content of his song which they seem not to understand. If they think it is inappropriate why did they not respond to the public outcry of the band names of Amnesia band? Amnesia was modeling their costumes with the inappropriate band names at that same event. It should be censorship across the board.

      In addition, calypso has always been about social commentary. His song does not glorify looting but instead speaks from the perspective of someone going through the looting process. The last verse even spoke about a looter having to pay for their crimes. It’s called satire and wit. I wonder how many of the negative attackers actually listened to the song or even understand calypso.

      Finally if the powers at be want to dictate what should be or not be in a calypso song they simply have to update the rules. This is in support of all caplypsonians!

  33. Jonathan Y St Jean
    January 29, 2018

    After carrying out the bidding of the Labour Party lackies,Val should be ashamed.He only quits now because he sees the potential financial punishment coming his way.Why did he put his signature on the letter to Dice if he felt that way.Val you should have resigned before signing that letter and we would see that you were genuinely not in favour of stopping Dice from singing the song “looters”.

  34. JOE
    January 29, 2018

    Val too petty, he did DDA a great favour!!!!!!!!

  35. Neville
    January 29, 2018

    Val you should have resigned the minute Piper told you to write the letter. You would have saved face and let useless Piper take the flag. Nobody succeeds in the long run to be somebody’s puppet.

  36. Roy Williams
    January 29, 2018

    To little, to late, Val, however, better late then never..

  37. jihan
    January 29, 2018

    Val thanks for standing up to those cowards,Piper is a puppet under Skerrit,these guys are bringing the country down day by day,Erica and Maria did not teach them a lesson but more is to come.Piper waht the hell do you know about calypso,be a man and stand up to Skerrit,stop being Skerrit messenger.

    • John Jay
      January 29, 2018

      You right but when you look at Piper wat has he really done for DEC. The is not going forward nor backward, guess he got the job because of who are his people .

      • ATKINSON
        January 30, 2018

        Hey hey piper, has done a lo for the nature isle, Every month he pick up his pay check, he goes to all the cocktail parties, he get freebies at resorts, hotels, cruises, dinners, and yes more cocktails, and laughs at all the evil supremo’s jokes, imagine having to raise your glass, with expensive top shelf liquor several times are week. with the red DLP elites

  38. John Jay
    January 29, 2018

    Let me see if you will go back for love of country when d supremo call you.

  39. King Skerrit
    January 29, 2018

    Finally, you take a principled stance. I hope this resignation is permanent. Don’t run back tomorrow Val :lol:

  40. LifeandDeath
    January 29, 2018

    Way to go Val…how comes all those gov’t ministers CAN TAKE IT for so long, those PSs??…more Dominicans need to stand up and change the dooming status quo in Dominica right now..

  41. AA
    January 29, 2018

    Now will the real …….please stand up, who is the person that took such a ……. decision? Let the people know who is the real ……….that made the decision. In a time when the tourism sector is non-existent and there is nothing going on in that sector, you have a set of highly paid ……… making decisions on persons that they have no indication or cannot meet or walk in persons shoes and want to make decisions to keep these people down.

    so WILL THE REAL …….please stand up let the people know the real LOOTAH

  42. ??
    January 29, 2018

    Again? Why did he come back in the first place??

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