Sex scandals force minister to name new UPNG council

By REBECCA KUKU
SEX scandals and allegations of corrupted lecturers and misappropriated funds are the main reasons that led to the appointment of a new interim council at the University of PNG, says Higher Education Minister Pila Niningi.
Niningi, pictured, told a press conference in Port Moresby yesterday that he was prompted to take action after he received reports of serious allegations of misappropriation of the university’s funds that was used for a UPNG Home Ownership Scheme in 2002. There were also many reports of corrupt academic practices and allegations of sexual favours sought by some lecturers, he said.
“The list of concerns is long and above is just a few to name, even the dormitories are rundown because the university failed to carry out any maintenance work on them throughout the years,” the Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology said.
“So the fact is that under the previous leadership of the university, the learning and teaching environment was seriously compromised.
“Then when a few students reported that they were told to sell their bodies to the lecturers to gain good marks, that was the last straw.
“I wrote to the UPNG administration asking them to look into it and report back, my secretary followed up on it and there was nothing being done about it, so I dissolved the interim council and appointed a new one.”
Niningi said that he stepped in and made the changes because he wanted to restore accountability and protect the university’s integrity.
He said that there would be no strike as the university had already served a court order to the National Academic Staff Association (Nasa) restraining them from taking any industrial action (including stop-work action and or withdrawing of their services).
However, students from the university campus said classes were suspended and all other services like the library and computer laboratories were also closed yesterday.
Niningi said that lecturers who did not turn up for classes would be in breach of the court order.
Nasa, in a statement, said its members had been asked to “unanimously resolve to voluntarily withdraw their teaching and research services, as of Monday, March 4”, in response to several administrative decisions that had arisen from recent changes to senior administration positions in the university.
However, Ninigi said that careful attention was given to ensuring that appropriate persons from different walks of life, including lawyers and accountants were appointed to the interim council.
“Members were selected on the basis of their expertise and particularly their independence of any previous involvement in the university’s governance or management,” he said.
Meanwhile, public relations and event management director James Robins said any strike action by Nasa was illegal and in contempt of court.
He said the case was filed by the university against acting president of Nasa Mark Kia, the first defendant, and Nasa, the second respondent. A copy of the court order obtained by The National stated: “The defendant and its members are restrained from conducting any or taking part in any industrial action.”
The court explained that industrial action included stop-work action or withdrawing of Nasa’s services to the university.
Kopunye Lawyers, representing UPNG, took out the court order against Nasa. The court issued the orders on Saturday. The matter is expected to return to court on March 20 for hearing.