UoG student president expelled

By ZACHERY PER
STUDENT representative council (SRC) president of the University of Goroka has been expelled for alleged breach of student discipline statute and defiance of the university council decision.
Vice-Chancellor Dr Gairo Onagi, in a letter dated Feb 9 to Jamie Namorong, quoted sections of the statue and excluded the final-year student from coming anywhere near the campus.
Namorong wrote to the student body on Feb 8, urging them not to sign the university pledge which, he claimed, would stop their rights to freedom of expression and choices.
Onagi said the student pledge was an advice from the university council after past experience of damages to properties and unruly behaviour by students who took part in last year’s boycott of classes.
“The pledge was designed to maintain peace, order and well being among students to ensure they accomplish their studies without any unnecessary interferences and intimidations.
“Those undertake to interfere and intimidate must face the full consequences of their actions,” Onagi said.
He imposed section 5 (3) (1) of the disciplinary powers of the vice-chancellor to exclude Namorong from the university for a period of two years for breaching student discipline statute.
“If you are sighted by anyone in authority to be defying these orders you will be dealt with as and where necessary under the laws of the State of PNG,” Onagi said.
Namorong, who was one of the student leaders leading the boycotting of classes at UoG last year, was elected SRC president towards the end of last year after he lodged a successfully appeal after his nomination was disqualified by the acting Pro-Vice Chancellor (administration) David Hosea for pending disciplinary issues.
However, Namorong was voted by the student body to lead them this year, however, a council meeting last Nov 4, ruled his election be declared null and void and the council ordered for further elections.
Namorong told The National that the nullification letter from Hosea was never copied to him.
“Students at UoG are adults and could not be treated as primary or secondary school students, we are matured students we are capable of analyzing situations and issues affecting our lives,” he said, adding that he was seeking to justify his expulsion in court.