It’s important for USP to quickly sort out jobs row issue

The spotlight is on Pro-Chancellor and Council chair Winston Thompson to resolve a serious row over jobs that has shaken the University of the South Pacific to the core.

On Monday the university’s Executive Committee will sit to discuss allegations of breaches of policies and procedures brought to the attention of the University Council by one of its members Mahmood Khan. Mr Khan is the Government’s representative on the USP Council.

He is a chartered accountant and is also chairman of the Council’s Audit and Risk Committee. It can be reasonably assumed that because of his position and professional background his allegations are serious and require immediate attention.

All the university’s regional partners are putting their trust on Mr Thompson to resolve this issue quickly and amicably so that the institution can get back to what it does best as outlined in its mission statement – To influence Pacific Islanders through the pursuit of excellence in knowledge by providing world-class education and research that improves the lives of individuals and communities.

There is no better person to handle this matter at this point in time than Mr Thompson because of his wealth of professional background, knowledge and experience. His value to the university was underscored when he was reappointed to his current positions in January 2019 for another three-year term.

He served for nine years from 2006 as Chair of the University Grants Committee. Prior to that he had served an illustrious career as a civil servant up to permanent secretary level, a diplomat and then Telecom Fiji Ltd as chief executive officer (CEO). Internal disputes have been part of the growing up of USP as a regional institution from its humble beginning. When academic freedom is upheld and encouraged it is a positive development and a sign of healthy growth. It encourages people to speak up when they see and feel something is not right.

From Fiji’s perspective, the issue must be investigated to find a resolution. It cannot be allowed to fester because it could affect confidence, morale and performance.

Although Fiji owns a university of its own in the Fiji National University, it has also been the biggest regional contributor to USP annually since its inception in 1968. Last year Fiji gave a grant of $34.47 million. The total grant was $45.42 million. Vanuatu is the second highest contributor.

So Fiji has every right, just like its other regional partners, to ensure that the university keeps growing unhindered and that governance issues, if there are any, will be rapidly resolved.

By the sound of it, there are exciting things happening at the university campuses across the region, that USP should be focussing on. It can only do this if there are no outstanding issues like the one the Executive Committee will discuss on Monday.