Page 18 - IB August 2024

Special Report Special Report

regional governments to become involved in such a matter,
Fiji’s Ministry of Education has taken notice of the situation.
Dr Sudesh Mishra Fiji is the largest funder of USP among the 12 member
countries, with a FJ$33.5 million (US$14.75 million) allocation
“If you create an atmosphere that is toxic,
something has to give. No one wants USP to go in the 2024-2025 national Budget and a FJ$32.3 million
under, but we are not in capable hands and it’s (US$14.22 million) contribution in 2023. Now Fiji’s Minister for
delusional to pretend otherwise.”
Education, Aseri Radrodro has made a statement in Parliament
expressing his concern at the impending strike.
“Government is aware of the concerns raised given that USP
has around 75% of staff who are Fiji citizens working at the
University,” Radrodro told Parliament’s sitting on August 7.
deported him in 2021 but also provided him support prior to “There are a lot of issues that have been raised, in
the information becoming public. particular, the strike threat, and we also understand that the
“He had access to Council members through members of staff that has been terminated has taken the matter to the
the union, through [their] contacts, that he wouldn’t have Employment Ministry.
had access to [otherwise]. He wouldn’t have been able to “Given the background that I’ve just alluded to, it is my
lobby the support that he needed to lobby if it hadn’t been intention to try and resolve the issues that have been raised
the support of the people, the University members, staff for the welfare of the Fijian staff and their concerns, by
members, who stood up and said, ‘We’re not going to let this calling a special meeting of the University to address the
happen. We’re going to do something about it’. So, because issues that have been highlighted regarding termination and
of that support, he managed to get some support amongst the strike threats.”
Council members, because he was still quite new then.” Radrodro, however, acknowledged that the USP Council is
Despite the deteriorating relationship between Ahluwalia “the executive governing body of the University. The Council
and the unions since, Osborne-Naikatini maintains that the makes ordinance to direct and to regulate the University and
unions supported him because of what they considered to be its authorities and members,” Radrodro said.
in USP’s best interests.
“We had to do something,” she said. “We had to stand up The role of Council
and say, ‘No, you can’t treat our VC, whoever the VC is, you Osborne-Naikatini’s dismissal is the latest episode in a
can’t treat our VC like that. We will fight for that person, steadily escalating row between the unions and Ahluwalia
whoever that person is’. And I think that’s something that we over the past 18 months.
will proudly say even now.” The unions claim a Council meeting in May last year
She said if her decision to raise the union’s concerns about directed Ahluwalia to begin discussions with the unions on
the appointment process to the Council was anything similar their demands for a pay rise and a new Vice-Chancellor – and
to whistleblowing, she was unable to find pathways through to bring the outcomes to the Council’s November sitting.
the University’s whistleblower policy and procedures. But the unions earlier told Islands Business that Ahluwalia
According to USP’s ‘Protected Disclosures & Whistleblowing never called for any discussions with them, and when they
Policy’ allegations against “any Council Member, including the tried to present the issue at the November meeting, the item
Vice-Chancellor” are to be dealt with “under the procedures was blocked from the agenda, eventually resulting in the vote
defined by the USP Council,” but the document does not go in March this year for strike action.
into detail about such procedures. Claiming there were skyrocketing expenses to the University
By contrast, the whistleblower procedures of the Fiji from him continuing to work from offshore in Samoa, even
National University (FNU) state that, “When Wrongful Conduct though the new Fiji Government had removed a ban on him
is alleged against the Chairperson of FNU Council, or any Chair by the former administration, they called for the termination
and/or member of FNU Council, the person disclosing may of his employment last November.
disclose the activity to the Minister responsible for tertiary Again, this year, both unions prepared a joint paper they
education”. said was aimed at alerting the USP Council to the “deeper
Many universities will also appoint what is known as a issues” that relate to the “reputation, security, and future” of
‘visitor’: an external authority who handles disputes and the University. Alleging a 90% increase in an expense account
allegations within a university when internal procedures have that was created for Ahluwalia since 2021 when he was
either been exhausted with no resolution or are deemed deported from Fiji, the report also detailed increased daily
inappropriate for a particular matter. Allegations against the per diems for Suva this year that were 43% higher than United
highest-ranking members of a university’s governance could Nations rates.
potentially be reported to the ‘visitor’. Citing additional factors such as USP losing close to 5000
The charter and statutes of the University of the South full-time students between 2021 and 2024, its student
Pacific both mention the position of ‘visitor’, but this position completion rates dropping to 18% in 2021, and student
has reportedly been vacant for several years. retention rates dropping to 67% in 2022, the unions once again
While there are no official procedures that outline a role for demanded Ahluwalia’s removal.

18 Islands Business, August 2024