Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama has called on the National Federation Party Leader, Professor Biman Prasad to help in combatting corruption at the University of the South Pacific and to ask his wife, Doctor Rajni Chand to resign from the post of Director for the Centre of Flexible Learning at USP however Prasad says he has no say in university appointments.
Speaking to fijivillage from Seaqaqa today, Bainimarama says the issue is about the appointment of Doctor Chand and he is raising the question on why the USP position was not advertised internationally based on the university’s practice.
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The Prime Minister also calls on Professor Prasad not to bring the USP students into this issue. He says he now wants to know where is the GDP in this debate.
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Bainimarama also raises the question where does Prasad bring the issue of the Prime Minister making misogynistic comments when he is raising the issue about the appointment process.
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When contacted by fijivillage, the NFP Leader says this is cheap politics and he does not determine who gets appointed and how they get appointed at USP.
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Prasad says it is childish of Bainimarama to attack him for something he is not responsible for when the Prime Minister should know that the university policy is not determined by Prasad.
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Prasad stresses that it is not his place to ask Doctor Chand to resign and it is childish for the Prime Minister to be saying that he is walking out of parliament with his PHD and to see where is his GDP now. Doctor Chand’s office has referred all questions to the USP Communications Department.
Professor Pal Ahluwalia says he will not comment.
Fijivillage is still waiting for USP Pro Chancellor Winston Thompson’s comments regarding these claims.
Fijivillage had questioned Thompson last week whether he had received reports and complaints of political interference, whether any investigations were conducted and whether questions were raised about certain appointment processes. He is yet to respond.
