K22.4m university under scrutiny

THE amendment of the Lutheran University Act and a K22.4 million funding allocation to establish the university is under scrutiny by ENGA-based Gutnius Lutheran Church of PNG.
Church secretary Stephen Pulipilya said it was a serious issue
which the national government needed to look into with the support of the two churches in the organisation.
Pulipilya said that members of the two churches want the funds given for the Lutheran University establishment unaccounted for.
He claimed the Lutheran University Act (LUA) 2006 was bulldozed through in parliament and changed to Lutheran University Act 2012 without the knowledge and blessing of the two Lutheran Churches – the Gutnius Lutheran Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG.
“There is no blessing from the church council and the church’s synod to amend the Lutheran University Act 2006.”
Pulipilya said the Gutnius Lutheran Church wanted an immediate investigation into the repealing and amendment of the Act by Parliament in November 2012.
“We also want an immediate investigation into the existing bank account of the new Lutheran University because more than K22.4 million in government funding towards the establishment of the
university since 2006 has gone missing, with the money not being accounted for to date.” Pulipilya claimed.
He said there was no audit report on the funding or any progress report on the university establishment being presented by the establishment committee (LUEC) to the two churches.