USP Council reinstates VC Pal Ahluwalia

The University of the South Pacific Vice-Chancellor and President Pal Ahluwalia has been reinstated to Office by the USP Council following a special meeting today.

The USP Council has stated that having considered the decision by the university’s Executive Committee to suspend the Vice-Chancellor and President, the Council is not persuaded that due process was followed in the suspension of Vice-Chancellor Ahluwalia.

The USP Council says they set aside the suspension of the Vice-Chancellor and President by the Executive Committee and have resolved that the process as prescribed in An Ordinance to Govern the Discipline of the Vice-Chancellor be followed in investigating any allegations against the Vice-Chancellor and President.

This follows last week’s suspension of the vice-chancellor of the University of the South Pacific, Pal Ahluwalia, by the USP Council’s executive committee. The action provoked widespread concerns over the state of affairs at the university and prompted vigorous calls for the USP Council to meet and look into the matter.

It has been reported that tensions between the pro and vice-chancellor surfaced during the first three months of vice-chancellor Ahluwalia’s tenure, when he uncovered serious governance and management anomalies.

That discovery led to an external audit by accountants BDO that revealed irregular governance and management issues that predated the current vice-chancellor’s appointment.

Since then, pro-chancellor Thompson has reportedly established a team to investigate his colleague Professor Ahluwalia.

The investigation was met with opposition from the university’s owners and attendees alike.