UPNG students got it right – and the UPNG VC Professor Albert Mellam fumbled!


by BONNY KAIYO

The university students were non – violent, and prayed to bring about peace in the country in their war on corruption. And, it even took the CEO of the country’s premier institution of learning by surprise.

University students at UPNG and other State – run universities and colleges were at war with the ruling political elite. It was also a time to see who turned out to the be allies, and who were the enemies in the war on corruption in the country.

Sir Nagora Bogan, the Chancellor of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology, a State run institute situated in Lae, Morobe Province whose students voted in a referendum to support their sister universities and had boycotted classes for over a month now will not be removed from his post.
Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology Malakai Tabar confirmed in Parliament yesterday that, “Sir Nagora Bogan is still the chancellor and (rumours) posted on Facebook by faceless people (of his removal) is not true.” Tabar was responding to questions by Deputy Opposition Leader and Bulolo MP Sam Basil.

The fall- out and fragmentation of higher learning at the three major State –run universities of UPNG, Unitech, and UOG has become the order of the day after 4 weeks of pro – democracy protests by university students who are calling on Prime Minister Peter Oneill to go in for questioning by the PNG anti – corruption police for his role in the Parakagate Affair.

In the drama, UPNG Senate had suspended semester one and rescheduled its programs in order to bring back . lost time for classes, and for Semester two to begin as normal without being affected.
Also there is a Court order taken out by UPNG Student Representative Council putting a temporary eviction of students at the Waigani Campus by the UPNG administration.

Meanwhile, the Minister urged students to return to classed because that is there responsibility.
But, the story is not straight forward justifying their non – violent popular uprising and consciousness to address corruption in high places in the country, and especially in the office of the Prime Minister.
A brutal police crackdown was unfolding until a leave application filed by the UPNG SRC seeking judicial review on the decision made by the UPNG Senate on the 24th of May for students to vacate campus within 48 hours was granted by the Waigani National Court yesterday.
Justice Collin Makail granted the judicial review upon sighting that the Defendants did not have evidence to support most of their submissions made in the court.

Lawyers representing the UPNG Council, Senate and the States were not able to provide evidence of the University’s repatriation plan for the students after the eviction notice was served and also they did not provide evidence of current restructure of the academic year that they claim, they are working on at this time.

Justice Makail said the period of the Eviction notice is unreasonable and the University also failed to issue warnings before making their decision to evict the students on campus and suspension of semester 1.
Meanwhile Justice Makail extended the interim injunction for students to remain on campus until the judicial review on the 48 hours eviction notice is completed.

It is about the role of interest articulation and accommodation in which university students have taken the lead to put the ruling political elite on notice on the issue of corruption, which is a threat to the national interest in a nation of a 1000 tribes. In their awareness campaign activities throughout the country where resources permitted, the students passed on the message to thousands of people that national disintegration was looming because of corruption by the Oneil – Dion regime.
The Opposition has been stopped in Parliament from pursuing its role to oppose, expose, and deposed because the ruling PNC party has taken the vote-of-no-confidence matter to the court. A ruling will be made this Friday whether or not to pave way for the Opposition to make its fourth attempt to move a motion of no-confidence against PM O' Neill.

In the current session of Parliament, the Opposition is cautious in its move to ensure that it must respond to the mounting dissent on the streets for the Oneill – Dion regime to account or popular revolt throughout the country will bring the country to the brink of collapse, the signs already there as seen by the university students protests with their demand that accountable government is now critical or there will be chaos in the country even before the 2017 National General Elections, that will release the pressure of legitimacy of state crisis.

Thus, the Opposition will be going by what is prescribed by the law, and ensure the Prime Minister Peter Oneill and his government is held accountable for the inevitable effect of bad loan by UBS which is set declare PNG bankrupt a week from now on 12 June 2016.
The PNC – led reformist regime under PM Peter Oneill is satisfied that as long as the matter of the Opposition’s motion is before the court, a witch-hunt to make the motion flawed will work out as has been done three times already in Parliament .

Popular uprising by university students came at the right time, and at the UPNG man campus, the UPNG Senate and the VC Professor Albert Mellam(shown negotiating a deal with UPNG SRC President) were in a hurry to sanitize a definition for corruption which the students knew was part of a ploy to consolidate the grip onto state power by PM Peter Oneill.

Perhaps, the UPNG students got it right, and their non – violent approach to bring about peace in their war on corruption even took the CEO of the country’s premier institution of learning by surprise.
Peace is not an absence of war. It is a state of mind,
It would be time to call for his sacking. Now.

Popular posts from this blog

HIGHLANDS FRAUD F*CKS RUNNING GOVERNMENT AGENCY,,,

Image
A Fraudster and unqualified person has been shortlisted for NEC submission for the position of CEPA Managing Director. The candidate in question is Jude Tukulyia. His academic credentials are subject to scrutiny. Further investigation is required to verify the authenticity and legitimacy of his qualifications, particularly the reported diploma in accounting, Bachelor of Laws, MBA from Divine Word and UPNG respectively. It is very suspicious and unprofessional  when the Minister for Environment Conservation and Climate Change, Hon Simo Kilepa, wrote to UPNG Vice Chancellor asking to confirm Jude’s questioned education qualifications. This very due diligence work is the core responsibility of the Public Service Commission and Department of Personnel Management. What authority does the portfolio minister have to write to the Universities? Dumbfounding indeed if one asks. Ulterior motives written all over the letter. This amounts to  Questionable Academic Qualifications of Mr Tukulyia.    
Read more

PNG, VERY RICH YET STILL A VERY VERY POOR COUNTRY

Image
by GARY MONDULAME Papua New Guinea (PNG), a nation blessed with abundant natural resources, continues to grapple with economic challenges that belie its potential wealth. The nation's economic narrative is a paradox—rich in resources yet burdened by poverty. The explanation for this paradox lies not only in economic mismanagement but also in deep-seated corruption that has permeated the political landscape since independence in 1975. Following its independence from Australia, PNG was entrusted to leaders who lacked a vision for a holistic national development. This absence of foresight is evident from the lack of long-term development plans that could have distributed the country’s wealth fairly across all regions and communities. Successive governments failed to establish foundational strategies such as building satellite townships or creating robust rural housing schemes. Instead, they resorted to short-term, reactive measures that did not foster sustainable growth. The nascent l
Read more

AUGUSTINE MANO PNG'S PREMIER CORPORATE CROOK

Image
by  MICHAEL J. PASSINGAN In a significant setback for Mineral Resources Development Corporation (MRDC), the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea has dismissed the company's appeal to stop criminal investigations into its dealings with landowner funds held in the Pacific Balance Fund (PBF). The court ruled that MRDC's appeal was an "abuse of process" and ordered the company to pay costs of the proceedings. MRDC, a unit holder in PBF, had taken legal action against the National Court's decision to dismiss its case, arguing that the court had no jurisdiction to hear the matter. However, the Supreme Court disagreed and held that MRDC's appeal was nothing more than an attempt to interfere with the police's criminal investigative process. The court found that MRDC had no authority to conducted its own investigation into the activities of the Melanesian Trustee Services Limited (MTSL), the fund manager of PBF, and that its actions were in violation of the Trust Deed
Read more

BLIND LEADING THE BLIND, WHY THE PNG ECONOMY STILL SUCKS

Image
Elizabeth Genia, Acting Governor Bank of PNG (BPNG) by MICHAEL JOSEPH PASSINGAN The economy of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is at a crucial juncture. Despite some signs of recovery, the country faces several structural challenges that continue to impede its economic progress. The March 2024 Monetary Policy Statement from the Bank of Papua New Guinea sheds light on these issues, providing a comprehensive overview of the economic landscape and the policy responses being implemented to navigate through these turbulent times. In 2023, PNG's economy grew by a modest 1.4%, a significant slowdown from the 5.2% growth witnessed in 2022. This tepid growth is largely attributed to delays in major projects and ongoing economic issues that have not been fully resolved. The anticipated growth for 2024 is around 3.0%, buoyed by the resumption of production at the Porgera gold mine. While this marks an improvement, it remains subdued compared to the potential of this resource-rich nation. One of the mo
Read more

James Marape's Missteps Openly Exposed at Australian Forum

Image
by  MICHAEL J. PASSINGAN  In a recent event that highlighted the complexities of international diplomacy and governance, Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, James Marape, faced a challenging situation during his appearance at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia. The Lowy Institute, known for its role as an independent think tank focusing on international policy, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, provided a platform for a candid assessment of Marape's governance. Following his formal address, Marape engaged in a dialogue with Dr. Michael Fullilove AM, the Executive Director of the Institute. Dr. Fullilove, a respected figure in public and international policy, scrutinized Marape's past promises and statements, contrasting them with the current state of affairs in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The discussion took a critical turn as Dr. Fullilove revisited Marape's 2019 speech at the same venue, where Marape had outlined his vision for PNG in a speech titled “A New Boo
Read more

MARAPE & PAITA ABOUT TO SIGN AWAY PNG GOLD

Image
By: Andrew Arthur Prime Minister Hon. James Marape and his planning minister Reinbo Paita are the parties behind the theft of all Papua New Guinea’s gold for the next 100 years! They have given approval for the STATE of Papua New Guinea to sign away all gold rights to an Australian paper company in Refinery Holdings PTE LTD. First, they have done the deal with a paper company even before there is a LAW that says they have the right to do the deal. We see how the real manipulation works out. Marape and Paita now need to get the law passed by Parliament. The law is before the Parliament to set up Papua New Guinea’s first National Gold Corporation. The National Gold Corporation Bill first surfaced in 2012 but successive Government of Sir Michael Somare and Hon. Peter O’Neill, in their wisdom, had refused to pass this Bill as there have been some sinister motives and constitutional issues associated with the Bill. The new bill will allow Refinery Holdings LTD PTE to own 70% of the National
Read more

A Call for Local Ownership and Fairness

Image
by JUSTIN PARKER In recent discussions surrounding the establishment of a gold refinery in Papua New Guinea (PNG), concerns have been raised regarding various aspects of the proposed project. Spearheaded by foreign investors, the initiative has sparked debates over ownership, exclusivity, tax concessions, underwriting, management rights, control over currency, legal protections, and historical failures. These concerns, if unaddressed, could potentially undermine the interests of PNG and its people, particularly the hardworking alluvial miners who form the backbone of the nation's mining sector. At the heart of the issue lies the question of ownership. The proposed ownership structure, favoring foreign investors with a substantial 70% stake, raises eyebrows, especially considering PNG's past experiences with failed ventures like seabed mining. Instead of ceding majority control to foreign entities, many argue that PNG should assert full ownership over the refinery. With the coun
Read more