Uni to take ‘appropriate action’ against forestry college officers

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By EVAH BANIGE

THE University of Technology (Unitech) said yesterday that officers at the Timber and Forestry Training College (TFTC) who diverted  K40,000 in funding from the New Zealand government last year, would face appropriate action.
Acting Vice-Chancellor Wilson Tovirika did not elaborate.
His statement was made on Monday following the New Zealand High Commission’s suspension of the scholarships offered to female students at the college.
The New Zealand government had allocated K40,000 last year to TFTC to build a new dormitory for female students.
Because the college had been seriously short of money, the administration decided to delay the dormitory project, and instead use the funds to meet pressing needs which included restoring water and power which had been cut because of non-payment of bills.
The New Zealand government, through its funding agency NZAID, awaited acquittal of the funds on two occasions and never got any.
NZAID said the suspension would only affect 25 TFTC female students. It could reconsider the suspension for the scholarships for next year.
The suspension would not affect the Women in Agriculture scholarships offered at Unitech’s agriculture department and the University of Natural Resources and Environment (UNRE) at Vudal.