Three weeks into the first term of the school year, and fresh calls are being made for the return of Dr. Albert Schram, as Vice Chancellor of the University of Technology.
But a staff member, who held a public forum on Monday, has been asked to resign, despite echoing public views shared by the Universities administration and Student Representative Council.
Ken Polun, who heads the university’s maintenance division, held the public forum citing newspaper reports that stated Schram had been cleared in the investigation led by former judge, Mark Sevua.
He was later stopped by security and asked to resign by the university administration.
Dr. Schram has not been allowed back into the country even after an investigation cleared him of several allegations that questioned his qualifications.
By December, it will have been three years since the Schram-Unitech issue began.
Unitech is being managed by an interim council appointed after an intervention by the national government.
Prime minister, Peter O’Neill visited the university at the height of the crisis in the hope of putting the matter to rest.
An investigation team headed by retired judge Justice Mark Sevua, was appointed to probe several issues including allegations over Dr. Schram’s qualifications.
At the end of January, one year after the PM’s visit, the interim council released a statement pointing out that the investigating team had cleared Dr. Schram of all allegations and that he should be allowed back to resume his post.
The lack of action has also brought renewed concerns from parents.
Dr. Schram’s troubles are understood to have begun after he questioned certain payments from the university accounts.
The interim council says he was the allegations against him were baseless and it called on all parties to put aside their own self-interests and restore credibility to the university.
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