Please, publish the truth about UNITECH Saga so we appreciate a balance view of story.
By: The UNITECH Insider
I read with great interest serious trafficking of misinformation being deliberately distorted and tempered with by some malicious anonymous person aptly referred to as ‘faceless keyboard heroes’, thanks to disruptive social media about the UNITEC saga since the saga.
My chief aim though is to publicly inform everyone, both locally and internationally, who have been steadily following the UNITECH saga on nothing but the Truth behind the underlying casual issues that gave rise to the peak of this mess.
I want to state the Facts here which must be given due Consideration:
• The UNITECH crisis is a result of long overdue governance issues that have culminated for over 20 years thus far - it is a not a new issue.
• The government has been supporting Schram since his sacking by the Stagg Council until he chose the wrong strategy to attack the Independent State of Papua New Guinea by undermining the O’Neill Government and tarnishing the higher education sector internationally through social media.
• The UNITECH Act is supreme unto itself that functions in a self-perpetuating logic whereby it enforces the Council to hire and fire without government’s political interference. By this definition and operation of the law the Council appoints itself and has the ultimate power to decide on the management of the university whether in the name of self or national interest. This loophole in the making of University Act since 1960s with an intent of protecting academic integrity from undue political interference is in itself a self- destructive tool and draconian in nature whereby it systematically allows for poor governance take toll. The Stagg Council is privy to the mercy of this act for almost 30 years until the arrival of Schram as the saviour of students and staff of UNITECH, this without doubt everyone upholds his strategic leadership and direction within a short stint of time. Now, what is important for everyone including the critiques and proponents of Schram to know clearly is that the Council has terminated him under the UNITECH Act, that decision later has been upheld by the competent courts whereby no person will defy unless and until it is uplifted by the same courts. The government can only do nothing because of the court order and UNITECH Act that are in place – government’s hand is tight from this perspective.
• Schram’s unprofessional behaviour of perversely mobilising students and staff through a secret social media network using James Cook University in Australia as a ‘safe haven’ to destroy the image of Government of PNG, the Prime Minister and Ministers of Higher Education Research Science and Technology, and good work of Professor David Kavanamur and our higher education sector at international level is unacceptable, distasteful and unbecoming of such an international acclaimed expert. The question we all must ask ourselves now is whether Schram will return to UNITECH. If he does not return the biggest losers will be the staff and the students.
• Parents and sponsors of students must now know that Schram and staff are pushing the students to the edge of the cliff. Students’ failure to comply with authorities will only push themselves off the cliff.
• The students and staff must resume class before the end of the academic calendar ends by end of March 2014. Continuous boycott will only make things worse. If NEC decides to declare a state of emergency and close down the university the students will lose while Stagg Council will be laughing away because the fact is that the fight for Schram and removal of bad apples in Stagg Council will be dealt with in the course of academic year. Fighting the government without calculative strategy is a dangerous move because the government in the end will always win – working with the government is in the interest of all parties concerned to restore normalcy and end this saga once and for all.
• Professor David Kavanamur entered the Office of Higher Education in 2012 just like Schram at a time when the UNITECH Saga was already at its peak. To be more precise, he went into a minefield that is about to explode and made serious attempts to clear the minefield. While in the process of managing the UNITECH crisis he was able to provide clear strategic leadership and direction to restore the higher education sector through many achievements within a short period of time.
• Had Schram mad an attempt to appoint a competent lawyer without nepotism rather than his ‘Wantok’ Sean Bluett who failed on three occasions to set aside the court order this saga would have been peacefully ended. Schram knows this very well and must not mislead the public and international community.
• Major reform has taken place under his leadership, one of which includes reforming legislative structure to manage governance issues at universities such as the UNITECH through reviewing of the Higher Education Act soon to be passed in Parliament, and the review of Academic Salaries.
• The accusation by OHE insider that Professor Kavanamur is building his empire in Cairns is incorrect and childish. We live in the 21st century where there are no boundaries as to where one lives. Any material benefits that he may have acquired were acquired before holding public office. If you are in doubt check annual returns at the Ombudsman Commission records – if you are serious and want to write a PhD thesis on it.
It is important that those ‘faceless keyboards heroes’ operating in their hideouts in social media must not mislead the public through false accusation. These are people who do not have the benefit of sitting in the decision making body of the government to feel the heat and mange decisions in the national interest amidst political and social dynamics and turbulence.
The accusations are just mere lies which are totally contradictory to the Mediation Report and Sevua Report. The Director General of the Office of Higher Education is a man of integrity who internationally and locally recognised for his immense contribution to academia and national development.
The Director General does not in any way mislead the Prime Minister and Minister for Higher Education Research Science and Technology given the fact that the legal complexity of this issue is beyond his jurisdiction. The government and David Kavanamur cannot operate outside of the legal jurisdiction and hold the state in ransom.
We the staff of UNITECH are very grateful to Professor David Kavanamur for his decisive move to rescuing UNITECH. Had he not intervene in the saga through the mediation report the students would have killed Stag, burnt down the administration building or if not Schram himself would have been killed by his adversaries. For instance, without the help of Professor Kavanamur Schram would have been killed in Lamana toilet. Lawyer John Napu saved him when he received his call from Professor Kavanamur.
We the silent majority of UNITECH staff and students are happy that not even one building is burnt down with the help of Professor Kavanamur and Government ministers.
What I must remind all of us here is that UNITECH is not bigger than higher education sector in PNG. There are complex challenging issues to manage in the sector as we move into new uncertain world of globalisation.
We the silent majority of UNITECH who fully support the work of government in managing this complex issue and brought to rest the saga once and for all. This is our fight in UNITECH amidst threats from the minority. We the silent majority do not fully support the minority. We want normalcy to return to UNITECH and justice be done through proper government process as we do clearly understand that an overnight answer to problem is not that easy.
I urge all parents, government and sponsors including international community to listen to the cry of silent majority. The public and international community in fact do not know the real situation inside the barricaded UNITECH. This is the true fact all must appreciate!
I read with great interest serious trafficking of misinformation being deliberately distorted and tempered with by some malicious anonymous person aptly referred to as ‘faceless keyboard heroes’, thanks to disruptive social media about the UNITEC saga since the saga.
My chief aim though is to publicly inform everyone, both locally and internationally, who have been steadily following the UNITECH saga on nothing but the Truth behind the underlying casual issues that gave rise to the peak of this mess.
I want to state the Facts here which must be given due Consideration:
• The UNITECH crisis is a result of long overdue governance issues that have culminated for over 20 years thus far - it is a not a new issue.
• The government has been supporting Schram since his sacking by the Stagg Council until he chose the wrong strategy to attack the Independent State of Papua New Guinea by undermining the O’Neill Government and tarnishing the higher education sector internationally through social media.
• The UNITECH Act is supreme unto itself that functions in a self-perpetuating logic whereby it enforces the Council to hire and fire without government’s political interference. By this definition and operation of the law the Council appoints itself and has the ultimate power to decide on the management of the university whether in the name of self or national interest. This loophole in the making of University Act since 1960s with an intent of protecting academic integrity from undue political interference is in itself a self- destructive tool and draconian in nature whereby it systematically allows for poor governance take toll. The Stagg Council is privy to the mercy of this act for almost 30 years until the arrival of Schram as the saviour of students and staff of UNITECH, this without doubt everyone upholds his strategic leadership and direction within a short stint of time. Now, what is important for everyone including the critiques and proponents of Schram to know clearly is that the Council has terminated him under the UNITECH Act, that decision later has been upheld by the competent courts whereby no person will defy unless and until it is uplifted by the same courts. The government can only do nothing because of the court order and UNITECH Act that are in place – government’s hand is tight from this perspective.
• Schram’s unprofessional behaviour of perversely mobilising students and staff through a secret social media network using James Cook University in Australia as a ‘safe haven’ to destroy the image of Government of PNG, the Prime Minister and Ministers of Higher Education Research Science and Technology, and good work of Professor David Kavanamur and our higher education sector at international level is unacceptable, distasteful and unbecoming of such an international acclaimed expert. The question we all must ask ourselves now is whether Schram will return to UNITECH. If he does not return the biggest losers will be the staff and the students.
• Parents and sponsors of students must now know that Schram and staff are pushing the students to the edge of the cliff. Students’ failure to comply with authorities will only push themselves off the cliff.
• The students and staff must resume class before the end of the academic calendar ends by end of March 2014. Continuous boycott will only make things worse. If NEC decides to declare a state of emergency and close down the university the students will lose while Stagg Council will be laughing away because the fact is that the fight for Schram and removal of bad apples in Stagg Council will be dealt with in the course of academic year. Fighting the government without calculative strategy is a dangerous move because the government in the end will always win – working with the government is in the interest of all parties concerned to restore normalcy and end this saga once and for all.
• Professor David Kavanamur entered the Office of Higher Education in 2012 just like Schram at a time when the UNITECH Saga was already at its peak. To be more precise, he went into a minefield that is about to explode and made serious attempts to clear the minefield. While in the process of managing the UNITECH crisis he was able to provide clear strategic leadership and direction to restore the higher education sector through many achievements within a short period of time.
• Had Schram mad an attempt to appoint a competent lawyer without nepotism rather than his ‘Wantok’ Sean Bluett who failed on three occasions to set aside the court order this saga would have been peacefully ended. Schram knows this very well and must not mislead the public and international community.
• Major reform has taken place under his leadership, one of which includes reforming legislative structure to manage governance issues at universities such as the UNITECH through reviewing of the Higher Education Act soon to be passed in Parliament, and the review of Academic Salaries.
• The accusation by OHE insider that Professor Kavanamur is building his empire in Cairns is incorrect and childish. We live in the 21st century where there are no boundaries as to where one lives. Any material benefits that he may have acquired were acquired before holding public office. If you are in doubt check annual returns at the Ombudsman Commission records – if you are serious and want to write a PhD thesis on it.
It is important that those ‘faceless keyboards heroes’ operating in their hideouts in social media must not mislead the public through false accusation. These are people who do not have the benefit of sitting in the decision making body of the government to feel the heat and mange decisions in the national interest amidst political and social dynamics and turbulence.
The accusations are just mere lies which are totally contradictory to the Mediation Report and Sevua Report. The Director General of the Office of Higher Education is a man of integrity who internationally and locally recognised for his immense contribution to academia and national development.
The Director General does not in any way mislead the Prime Minister and Minister for Higher Education Research Science and Technology given the fact that the legal complexity of this issue is beyond his jurisdiction. The government and David Kavanamur cannot operate outside of the legal jurisdiction and hold the state in ransom.
We the staff of UNITECH are very grateful to Professor David Kavanamur for his decisive move to rescuing UNITECH. Had he not intervene in the saga through the mediation report the students would have killed Stag, burnt down the administration building or if not Schram himself would have been killed by his adversaries. For instance, without the help of Professor Kavanamur Schram would have been killed in Lamana toilet. Lawyer John Napu saved him when he received his call from Professor Kavanamur.
We the silent majority of UNITECH staff and students are happy that not even one building is burnt down with the help of Professor Kavanamur and Government ministers.
What I must remind all of us here is that UNITECH is not bigger than higher education sector in PNG. There are complex challenging issues to manage in the sector as we move into new uncertain world of globalisation.
We the silent majority of UNITECH who fully support the work of government in managing this complex issue and brought to rest the saga once and for all. This is our fight in UNITECH amidst threats from the minority. We the silent majority do not fully support the minority. We want normalcy to return to UNITECH and justice be done through proper government process as we do clearly understand that an overnight answer to problem is not that easy.
I urge all parents, government and sponsors including international community to listen to the cry of silent majority. The public and international community in fact do not know the real situation inside the barricaded UNITECH. This is the true fact all must appreciate!
