USP staff call for independent inquiry into abuse of office claims

Staff and students of USP gather outside the Administration Block at Laucala campus for a talanoa session on good governance including recent allegations of mismanagement and abuse of office by senior management. Picture: WANSOLWARA STAFF

By WANSOLWARA STAFF

USP staff and students gathered at Laucala campus in Suva today to call for an independent inquiry into allegations of abuse of office against the former vice-chancellor Professor Rajesh Chandra.

The concerns from staff and students stemmed from alleged policy breaches of past financial decisions, such as speedy recruitment, appointments, promotions and questionable allowances for extra responsibility as well as breaches of the staff review procedures.

The allegations are contained in a leaked confidential 11-page document drafted by the University’s new vice-chancellor, Professor Pal Ahluwalia, and directed to the USP Council’s executive committee in March this year.

The lunch-time talanoa session on good governance, organised by the Association of The University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and USP Staff Union voiced strong support for Prof Ahluwalia.

The University’s pro-chancellor and chairman of the Council, Winston Thompson, issued a strong statement on Monday condemning the publication of the “unsubstantiated allegations” against many individuals including himself.

“As the pro-chancellor and chair of the USP Council and the executive committee of the Council, I am concerned and disappointed that a confidential document containing unsubstantiated allegations against many individuals including myself has been leaked, before any of the others have even seen the allegations and before any of us have had a chance to refute them,” Mr Thompson said.

“The document was first submitted to USP’s executive committee in March 2019. It was decided that the allegations should be investigated and each of the named individuals should be allowed to respond before the committee considered, in my absence, the document in detail. I regard this as the normal practice whenever adverse allegations are made against anyone, anywhere.”

Mr Thompson said he understood copies of the document were collected for safekeeping to allow for a thorough, independent and professional investigation, without influence from anyone and that a report would be submitted to the executive committee in April.

“On Thursday, May 9, I was advised that an article was on Islands Business’ Facebook page with some details of what was in the confidential document. I am now informed that a copy of the actual 11-page document is in public circulation,” he said.

“Quite clearly, a gross injustice has been done to the named individuals who have worked assiduously and who do not deserve to be treated in this way. I apologise to them in the name of the University.”

At the gathering, speakers called for those named in the report to step aside to make way for a thorough and independent investigation into the controversial claims.

A senior member of the teaching faculty, Associate Professor Morgan Tuimalealiifano, questioned Mr Thompson’s decision to make a public apology on behalf of USP.

“He (Mr Thompson) has apologised to the people named in the document on behalf of the University. Who is the University here? Is it any individual? No. The University belongs to the people of the region,” said Tuimalealiifano.

“We should stand behind Prof Ahluwalia. In the first three months of his tenure, he worked very hard to put these 11-pages together, to report irregularities and mismanagement inside our system.”

USP’s Professor Vijay Naidu encouraged union members to speak openly and freely about the issues.

Prof Naidu said the large number of staff and students who turned up at the gathering indicated massive support for the current VC’s attempt to “clear the mess”.

The USP Council meeting is currently underway in Port Vila, Vanuatu, however, it is unclear whether the allegations would be discussed.