By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE Prodigal Sons has until March 31 to repay the government $30k in seed money after failing to participate in the recent Boxing Day and New Year’s Day parades, the Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture said in a statement yesterday.

The ministry said an investigation has been launched into all Junkanoo groups who received seed funding but did not participate in the parades.

The ministry said the group would not get future funding from the government if it failed to repay the funds.

It said conditions of funding are outlined in agreements signed by Junknaoo groups.

Youth, Sports & Culture Minister Mario Bowleg said earlier this month that the Prodigal Sons blamed “unforeseen circumstances” for dropping out of the parades, an explanation he found inadequate.

He said he planned to meet with the group to get more information.

“The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture supports the social programme that the Prodigal Sons Junkanoo group conducts in the community,” his ministry said. “We are grateful that they provide a safe and creative space for both the young and old to become involved and participate in Junkanoo, one of the foremost cultural expressions of The Bahamas.”

“The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, who stands in proxy for the government and people of The Bahamas, must ensure that all recipients of assets and or funding must dispense of the same in a manner befitting its intended purpose. In this instance, seed funding was disbursed to all Junkanoo groups, and it was expected that the funds would be used to help prepare groups to participate during the Boxing Day and New Year’s Junkanoo Parades.”

Representatives of the Prodigal Sons group have been unreachable by The Tribune since it was revealed that the group would not participate in the Boxing Day parade.