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Pressure mounts on Unitech admin to step
aside for probe
By FRANK RAI and PETER KORUGL
PRESSURE was yesterday mounting on the PNG University of Technology
administration to step down and allow for an independent investigation
into allegations of mismanagement made by the National Academic Staff
Association (NASA).
“The Minister for Higher Education David Basua or even the Prime
Minister should intervene and bring the turmoil at the campus to an
end,” Morobe Governor Mr Luther Wenge said yesterday.
“The way to do this would be to appoint a commission of inquiry to look
into the allegations, which are very serious,” he said.
Earlier at the Unitech campus, the students met with the university
chancellor in an open forum after some rowdy moments, and presented a
petition demanding the Minister for Higher Education David Basua to
intervene.
They want the following measures to be pursued:
*Sideline the current senior executive
management for a period of time during which they be allowed to receive
their full entitlements and necessary benefits except their power and
authority over the university;
*Appoint a caretaker administration during
this period to manage the affairs of the university;
*Appoint an independent committee to
investigate all allegations made by NASA; and,
*Instruct NASA to resume their duties upon the
endorsement of the petition.
Some parents also told The National that they were very disappointed
that their children were deprived of their right to education by the
stubbornness of the university’s administration.
“We worked very hard to raise the money and pay the fees, only to find
that our children are not in their classrooms,” a concerned parent said.
“It would be much better for the council and the management to step
aside and allow an investigation to go ahead so that the students can go
back to classes,” Bernard Harry, a spokesman for the affected parents in
Lae said.
SRC vice-president Samson Apai said the students were concerned over
their studies and the delay by the university council to deal with the
issue was not acceptable.
“This issue was raised in November last year and the council and the
administration had been reluctant to address it and now it is affecting
our studies,” he said.
He said the students wanted to go back to school on Monday.
In response to the petition, Chancellor Phillip Stagg said the issue
between the university council and NASA was before the court and he
could not do much about it.
 
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