President Aingimea unaware of sacking of USP VC, sends wrong message
Government Information Office
MEDIA
RELEASE
For
Immediate Release
Friday, 5
February 2021
President Aingimea
unaware of sacking of USP VC, sends wrong message
President
Lionel Aingimea learned of the sacking of the University of the
South Pacific's Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Pal
Ahluwalia the morning after as it happened in the middle of the
night during the meeting of Pacific Forum leaders, 3
February.
President
Aingimea who is Chancellor of the USP and Chair of the USP Council,
was made aware of the details of the situation by council members
who advised that the visa permit of the VC was cancelled by the
Fiji Government subsequently leading to his contract being
terminated immediately.
Fiji's
minister for immigration declared Prof. Ahluwalia and his spouse
'Prohibited Immigrants' under Fiji's Immigration Act with immediate
effect and ordered to leave Fiji immediately.
Just
prior to departing Fiji bound for Brisbane on deportation orders,
President Aingimea weighed the circumstances of the couple spending
two weeks in quarantine in Brisbane and offered assistance that
they transit in Brisbane to Nauru.
As Chair
of the USP Council, President Aingimea requested an adjournment of
the meeting of the USP council last Friday due to a cyclone bearing
down on Fiji and Tonga that day, and requested that meeting adjourn
until tomorrow, Friday 5 February. One of the agenda items was the
VCs contract.
As the
VCs contract is now terminated, issues relating to it will be
discussed at the council meeting today.
Without a
VC, the USPs senior management team will jointly undertake the VCs
duties until Council provides direction.
"We have
to be careful of the messages we send to academics and donor
partners of the USP."
President
Aingimea says that is one of the issues that need to be discussed
at the council meeting as the university needs credibility to
attract very well qualified and excellent academics to be able to
teach our Pacific people.
"It needs
to be done in an environment where people feel safe in regards to
job security," President Aingimea said.
The USP
has been clouded with negativity over the past couple years,
especially with reports emerging about financial mismanagement
which President Aingimea, fellow council members and USP staff are
trying to clean up.