Fijileaks
  • Home
  • Archive Home
  • In-depth Analysis
    • BOI Report into George Speight and others beatings
  • Documents
  • Opinion
  • CRC Submissions
  • Features
  • Archive

IN DEFENCE OF GANESH CHAND: Professor Wadan Narsey praises Chand and calls upon Bainimarama to break silence and explain to taxpayers VC Chand's exit from FNU

11/1/2015

38 Comments

 
Picture

Fijileaks Editor: A VICTOR LAL  exclusive beginning TOMORROW on the raft of complaints against "Dada" Chand and his obliging side-kicks at FNU as contained in the letter and supporting evidence given to FICAC! We will reveal how Ganesh Chand and his side-kick Narendra Prasad, with Mahendra Reddy and other FNU Council members turning a blind eye, ran FNU as if it was Chand's "ANIMAL FARM"; now they have let him escape with FICAC dithering to take him and many others into CUSTODY!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Fijileaks Editor: We publish below Wadan Narsey's praise and defence; he says where is natural justice for Chand - what the championing professor failed to read between the lines is that the FNU Council dumped "a bad penny" to save their own "pound" of flesh from FICAC!

"It is surely also no fault of VC Ganesh Chand that since the 2006 coup (i.e. right from the inception of FNU) the traditional donors (Australia, NZ, EU and others) shunned providing funds to a national institution like FNU because of their sanctions against the Bainimarama Government, with USP thereby enjoying the real “windfall gains” (through no sweat on their part), because donors wished to stay engaged with the Fiji people, even if indirectly. Now that Fiji has a democratically elected government and donors have re-established normal relations with Fiji, I expect donor funds to flood to FNU over the next four years (I sincerely hope that the exhilarated new FNU executives do not proudly claim personal credit for this turnaround).Wadan Narsey

PictureNarsey
Fiji National University,  the Bainimarama Government and Bad Governance
Professor Wadan Narsey  (10 January 2015)

The sudden departure of the founding Vice Chancellor from the Fiji National University (FNU) is an important enough event for the real owners and stakeholders in the university- the tax payers of Fiji, the current and future students and their parents, and future employers of the graduates, to call for honest answers from the Bainimarama Government.

Professional, transparent and accountable human resource management, is a crucial part of the good governance of all corporate bodies, including universities and their councils, and companies with their boards of directors.

Between 2006 and 2014, the unelected Bainimarama Government hired and fired civil servants, board members and senior management of statutory authorities, as they wished, with little transparency or accountability to the public.

The Public Service Commissioners and boards of the statutory authorities were merely “rubber stamps” uncritically obeying ministers’ orders and sending out the letters of dismissal, with the victims having no recourse to appeal, either within the organization or the courts.

With an elected government in place today, the public rightly expect that ministers will be fully transparent and accountable to the tax payers, whose assets and development interests are at stake.

But the well-publicized allegedly “amicable” departure of the Vice Chancellor of FNU (this article) and the termination of two senior executives from Fiji TV (another article) indicate that good governance is being seriously undermined by ministerial interference and undesirable micro-management of our public bodies.

Unless other facts are revealed to the public, the evidence here indicates that members of the FNU Council, and specifically its Chair (Minister of Education, Dr Mahendra Reddy), are seriously failing in their fiduciary duty to the Fiji taxpayers, by pressuring the FNU Vice Chancellor into a supposedly “amicable” departure, thereby undermining the independence and academic integrity of Fiji’s national university, and denying natural justice to its CEO.

Similar events have also taken place with respect to the termination of the Fiji TV executives.

For Fiji to return to being a just society, the public must show the courage to shake themselves out of their current cowardly lethargy and demand full accountability, transparency and integrity from the FNU Council and Fiji TV Board members, who have a fiduciary duty to professionally and fairly manage the human resources they have accepted responsibility for.

The public must also demand accountability from the Bainimarama Government which promised honest and transparent governance to voters, not just during the September 2014 elections, but in the values espoused by their own 2013 Constitution.

The Departure of FNU Vice Chancellor

The Press Release signed by the Minister of Education (dated 29 Dec. 2014) ) stated:

 “Following discussion’s in the Council meeting for a redirection and consolidation of the University’s strategic focus, the Chairperson of the University Council, the University Council and the Vice Chancellor have mutually agreed that the Vice Chancellor’s employment contract be brought to an end before the expiry of the same. The mutual parting of ways has been amicable.”

 The Minister also stated paradoxically:

  “The University Council is full of praise for Dr. Ganesh Chand. Having worked with the Vice Chancellor over the past 5 years, and having seen his leadership first hand, I echo these sentiments as well. Dr. Chand was always on his toes. He was full of energy and determination to make the University a credible and a leading university. It was his strategic thinking, and his drive, enthusiasm and passion that saw the rapid development of the University.”

 Dr Reddy forgot to mention that it was the vision, energy and enthusiasm of Dr Ganesh Chand that saw the formation of FNU from its disparate elements in the first place.

In the process he would have had to tread on the toes of many former CEOs who were suddenly deprived of total control of their turfs, and diplomacy is not known to be one of Dr Ganesh Chand’s strengths.  But Dr Chand is also credited by many as being the initiator of Fiji University as well, until micro-managers there ensured a parting of ways.

But while the Press Release gives the impression that the FNU Council also wished Dr Chand to depart, VC Chand’s email to FNU staff (of 30 Dec. 2014) clearly stated otherwise:

 “Please be advised that the Chairperson of the FNU Council, Dr. Mahendra Reddy, advised me and the members of the Council of the University of the need to change the Vice Chancellorship of the University”.  (my emphasis)

 It may be relevant that the FNU Council’s term was finishing at the end of the year and a new one was to be appointed by the Minister for Education.

Dr Ganesh Chand would have naturally expected, given the experiences of many others in similar positions, that the Minister could easily appoint Council Members enough of whom would be amenable enough to eject the VC without fulfilling his contractual entitlements, further reduced by costly legal battles.  It was probably quite sensible for Dr Chand to accept his contractual entitlements, and agree to call his departure “amicable”, which he did.

But, given the full-some praise of Chand by both Dr Reddy and the FNU Council, the public are entitled to ask what reasons were given by Dr Reddy to justify terminating Dr Chand’s tenure as Vice Chancellor, before the end of his contract.

While many, for political reasons, may chuckle at Ganesh Chand’s departure from FNU, there are far more important issues critical for FNU’s academic integrity and future independence.

If the Education Minister’s stated “hands-on” approach (i.e. micro-management, including termination of staff considered “undesirable” by Government), is accepted by the FNU Council,  there is grave  risk to academic freedom at FNU, inevitably leading to “self-censoring” by academic staff for self-preservation, as they currently do at The University of the South Pacific (USP).

So what were the reasons for the Vice Chancellor’s departure, euphemistically described as “amicable”?

Reddy’s reasons for termination

There have been many allegations on the blogs about the reasons for Dr Chand’s departure including unproven allegations of nepotism and fraud being investigated by FICAC, but these were denied by Dr Reddy as a reason for the amicable separation.

Dr Reddy is quoted by The Fiji Times (of 30 December 2014) as saying that he and Dr Chand had a “slight divergence of views” and that “We believe that now is not the time to make any new major expansion but the time to consolidate, and I think that’s where the difference is”.

Dr Reddy also claimed that the FNU Council wanted a “redirection and consolidation of the university’s strategic focus” which was not the same direction Dr Chand was taking the university and  “the Council decided mutually with Dr Chand that he will leave FNU“(my emphases).

But the Minister’s claim that Dr Chand had to leave merely because of a “slight divergence” of opinion between himself and the Vice Chancellor over some “focus on consolidation rather than expansion” is totally lacking in credibility and needs further examination, as is his allegation that the FNU Council also disagreed with the Vice Chancellor’s strategic direction and therefore wanted him out.

The ordinary public may not know that Dr Mahendra Reddy, a former colleague and close friend of Dr Ganesh Chand at USP, was in fact hired by the FNU Vice Chancellor to be one of his important Deans, and was subsequently in his innermost circle of decision-making on all strategic developments at FNU.

The Minister was well aware of the VC’s ambitious plans, based on his sound knowledge and experience as a labour market economist of the demand for tertiary technical graduates in Fiji, regionally and internationally, to appropriately plan the further expansion of FNU in both range of activities and geographical catchment outreach, not just to Vanua Levu but also the wider Pacific region.

These were plans that any labour market economist (including myself), the FNU Council, and the Bainimarama Government would have approved, given their strategic political and economic assistance to several PICs, especially the Melanesian and the Micronesian countries, such as in teaching assistance.

If the FNU Council felt differently about some specificities in the FNU plan, all they had to do was to express their wishes to the Vice Chancellor as a policy guideline which he would have had to implement.

Should the Vice Chancellor then fail to follow the accepted policy guidelines, it is basic good practice in human resource management that the FNU Council would officially notify the VC in writing, and give him the opportunity to remedy the alleged defects, with a warning of termination if the VC did not comply satisfactorily.

Is there any record of the FNU Council ever formally expressing its dis-satisfaction with the FNU Vice Chancellor’s performance in any respect whatsoever, including FNU’s future direction?

I doubt it, as I have been told by anonymous sources that Dr Chand was fully supported and praised by the FNU Council, and there was no dissatisfaction with his performance as Vice Chancellor, certainly not serious enough to warrant his termination as Vice Chancellor.

It is also beyond comprehension that an experienced academic and wily administrator like Dr Ganesh  Chand, would have refused to accede to any reasonable FNU Council decision for a “change of focus” and “consolidation” rather than “expansion”, especially if termination was given as the alternative.

Dr Reddy’s public explanations for Ganesh Chand’s departure from FNU are internally contradictory, flimsy, and just do not hold any water.

Of greater relevance may be the dressing down he gave the FNU Council and the Vice Chancellor in mid-November.

 Dr Reddy’s Address to FNU Council

The Minister’s address to the FNU Council on the 10 November 2014 as Chair of the FNU Council,  included the following statements, which I quote verbatim in italics (with grammatical errors, surprising for a Minister of Education who constantly demands quality from schools and teachers):

 “Members, our own National University allow government to peddle its national agenda….It can ask, direct or instruct the University to take the programme, discourse, spending in a direction that will allow the University to deliver on to the vision of Government….

 the governments vision which could have amendments every now and then are to be presented to the senior management as when the amendments are made. It is for this reason Government is responsible for the appointment of the Council and the Senior Management team…..

 it is for this reason, to protect the CEO and Government and provide guidance with the framework of the Decree and other policies of University, we have Council sub committees. These sub committees must scrutinize thoroughly papers and ask critical questions which will ensure that the University remains on course at all times.”

One sentiment expressed here is acceptable: i.e. that once appointed, the FNU Council, with the assistance of its Sub-Committees, is then directly responsible for ensuring that the Vice Chancellor delivers upon the Vision and Mission Statements, and whatever Strategic Plans that have been agreed upon  collectively between the Council and Senior Management.

But Dr Reddy’s speech went on to state quite worryingly:

 “there is a contrary view that Government appoints the CEO and then sits back and only at quite a late stage to realize that the damage is done.  The CEO/VC is accountable to the Government via the Council.  A hands off approach could spell disaster and provide room for bad governance practice hands an oversight is needed.” (my emphasis)

 So what did Dr Reddy see as the damage, nay, the “disaster” brought on by VC Chand?

Dr Reddy listed them: public relations with stakeholders and potential donors could be improved; there were concerns about the suitability and quality of some existing programs, staffing, library resources and workshops; there was a public perception of FNU associated with FICAC’s raid on FNU; and inadequate utilization of existing properties (I come to this last complaint later).

Except for the FICAC issue, all the problems would have been on-going from day one, and FNU Council and Management would have been tackling them (as also does USP).

A more specific and strange complaint by the Minister was:

 “At times we may get tempted to  tap into regional market as there may seem to exist some windfall gains which the University could exploit. I strongly urge that you leave that to our regional University. That’s their domain. We remain national in our presence but international with respect to our staffing profile and research and publication…

 Any knowledgeable education economist would challenge this advice by the Minister and his irrelevant reference to “windfall gains”.

FNU’s technical training offerings in many fields are substantially different from that offered by USP, far more labour market oriented, and there are indeed excellent niche markets in the region which FNU can rightly tap into, and was beginning to do so, with much appreciation by regional students.

Even in areas competing with USP, FNU’s offerings are considerably cheaper than USP thereby assisting university access to poor students unable to afford USP’s higher fees.

As important, it is now obvious to the public that Fiji’s tertiary students (including those at USP) have all benefited enormously because of the competition that FNU has brought to  USP, with the latter totally shaken out of their four decades of complacency in all areas of service delivery to the great delight of advertising and television and radio companies who are minting a fortune in the process (students might like to research how much has been spent by USP on advertising compared to the period before FNU appeared on the scene).

Keep in mind also that regional students at FNU paying full economic fees (which are higher than the average Fiji Government grant per capita) are an increasing source of marginal funds for FNU, while earning additional foreign exchange for Fiji.

As in Australia, Fiji’s entire education system including quality tertiary, secondary and primary schools, has become a valuable export earner to the region, especially Melanesia and Micronesia (not to mention the Tuvaluans, Kiribati and Nauruans who have bought housing in Fiji to facilitate their children’s education).

Bad comparison with USP

Strangest of all was Dr Reddy criticism of VC Chand that

“The reality is, for the competitive programmes, FNU is not the University of first choice for most of the students”.  [Read: “USP is”.]

 While Dr Reddy would never have said this publicly when he was Dean at FNU, this surely cannot be taken as a fair criticism of the Vice Chancellor’s management of FNU or even of FNU itself, however much it might delight USP (expect it to be quoted ad nauseam from now on).

It is a fact that USP has the advantage of fifty years of massive capital and recurrent funding support from regional governments and international donors, allowing USP to pay vastly more competitive salaries and attract better quality staff than FNU, with facilities as good as many metropolitan universities of equal size.

USP has also had forty seven years of experience, and has been enrolling the best Fiji students who remain to study in Fiji (after the cream have departed overseas on donor scholarships or privately).

Parents must think, even with relation to high schools: to what extent does the institution stamp the quality of graduates, and to what extent it is the quality of entering students which results in  the output quality of the institution.  (Of course, both factors apply and are inter-dependent: you cannot make a silk purse out of the sow’s ear).

It is surely also no fault of VC Ganesh Chand that since the 2006 coup (i.e. right from the inception of FNU) the traditional donors (Australia, NZ, EU and others) shunned providing funds to a national institution like FNU because of their sanctions against the Bainimarama Government, with USP thereby enjoying the real “windfall gains” (through no sweat on their part), because donors wished to stay engaged with the Fiji people, even if indirectly.

Now that Fiji has a democratically elected government and donors have re-established normal relations with Fiji, I expect donor funds to flood to FNU over the next four years (I sincerely hope that the exhilarated new FNU executives do not proudly claim personal credit for this turnaround).

With additional funding from the donors and the Fiji Government, most of the weaknesses identified by Dr Reddy could have been better addressed by the FNU without any need to change the Vice Chancellor.

Perhaps Dr Reddy as an FNU Dean for five years should also have told the FNU Council and  the Fiji public what he was doing about these very weaknesses he suddenly identified after becoming Minister of Education.

What of the FNU Council?

Dr Reddy’s actions and statements clearly indicate that far from the FNU Council being unhappy with the VC, it was “someone” in the Bainimarama Government itself (no prizes for guessing who), acting through Dr Reddy as Minister of Education and Chairman of FNU Council, that led the charge to have his former mate and superior, Dr Ganesh Chand, removed as Vice Chancellor.

Surprisingly, the FNU Council has not publicly objected.

A notable strength of VC Chand was that he managed to create an FNU Council with an unparalleled array of leading professional organisations of relevance to FNU programs and students: the Fiji Law Society, Fiji Institute of Accountants, Fiji Principals’ Association, Fiji Chamber of Commerce, Fiji Institute of Engineers, Fiji Nurses Council, Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association, Fiji Medical Association, Trade Unions Confederation, Fiji Teachers’ Union.

Readers might like to compare this line up with the lack lustre USP Council membership.

Sadly, the FNU Council Members seem to have been passive observers, although many expressed their reservations privately.

It may be quite relevant that the Council Members’ terms were coming to an end on the 31st December and a new Council is to be appointed by the Minister for Education, at his discretion.

The silence of Prime Minister Bainimarama?

Ultimately, however, whatever the decisions made by individual ministers, the buck finally stops with Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, whose silence on Dr Ganesh Chand’s departure is interesting for two opposite reasons.

First, I suspect that Dr Ganesh Chand was personally responsible for influencing the  Bainimarama Government in adopting many of its people-centred policies such as free education, training for rural development, reform of tertiary education scholarships and loans, the development of quality technical colleges to replace inadequately resourced small ones based at schools, and others.  These  measures which even regime critics praised as being positive for Fiji, were largely responsible for the Fiji First Party victory in the September 2014 elections.


These policies reflect much of Dr Ganesh Chand’s personal life and work experiences, including creating an organisation of friends called Fiji Youth and Students League to provide tertiary scholarships for poor denied Indo-Fijian students after the 1987 coup, and starting an excellent new Journal (Fijian Studies) to provide an alternative outlet for academics often denied publication by the established ones.

The public should remember that Dr Ganesh Chand was once a socialist Minister in the ill-fated 1999 Labour Government whose term was cut short by the 2000 coup before they could attempt the kinds of policies (some, not all) that Bainimarama has been trying for the last two years, at Dr Chand’s instigation.

But to understand another dimension of the Vice Chancellor’s departure, readers may note one more dubious complaint in Dr Reddy’s 10 November speech to FNU Council:

 “the University is not fully utilizing its existing properties while it wishes to acquire new properties… Quite a number of properties are still not utilized and there are outside entities watching the University closely to see if they can have it and better utilize it.”

 On the contrary, I suggest that for a university that is destined to grow steadily into the future, especially now that the Bainimarama Government has rightly guaranteed full access to all tertiary qualified students, it is financially sensible to acquire now, urban and peri-urban properties for FNU’s future needs, at the current low prices, instead of waiting until urbanization and speculative foreign and local demand have pushed up prices beyond tax payer’s reach, however necessary for FNU.

FNU currently owns extremely valuable farm lands in Navua, acquired for its agricultural programs, but the coconut wireless (the real original one- the kudru ni vanua) apparently has it that these lands are now desired by a powerful Bainimarama-supporting company with financial interests in the dairy industry and the media. It will be interesting to see if the new Acting Vice Chancellor and the soon to be appointed FNU Council agree to the sale of the Navua farm lands to a private company.


Ultimately, Bainimarama’s continued silence on the termination of Dr Ganesh Chand as Vice Chancellor of Fiji National University (and Mr Tevita Gonelevu and Ms Tanya Waqanika as senior executives of Fiji TV) does not reflect well on his personal accountability to the tax payers as Prime Minister of Fiji, who supposedly received more than two thirds of the votes going to his Fiji First Party, with other powerful ministers getting dismal numbers.

Neither does it reflect well on the powerful professional bodies which are represented on the FNU Council or on the influential individuals who are board members of Fijian Holdings Limited, or the apathetic public (including yet another organisation with an oxymoron for a name, like Transparency International Fiji) who all continue to remain silent, while the fundamental principle of independence of boards and councils is publicly trashed, and natural justice is denied to prominent Fiji citizens and senior managers.

I suggest that true development and social justice can only result from collective social efforts, and will never be delivered by some Saviour as mana from heaven, as some tragically hope, in splendid anonymity on the anti-Bainimarama blogs.

Professor Narsey takes issue with C4/5 posting, cc'd to Fijileaks:

Dear Editor C4.5

I don’t mind you publishing comments that disagree with my view and criticise me.

But I am dismayed when you publish someone anonymously accusing me of losing my job because I was asking for money to pass students.

This is a blatant and slanderous lie; and you probably know it; yet you still go ahead and publish it.

You also publish nasty comments about “vudi” etc being pushed up my backside.

I am losing all hope of your blog site being fair to someone like me who has put his neck on the chopping block for eight years now (often on your site), opposing the Bainimarama Regime under my own name while living in Fiji and vulnerable to their arbitrary violence.  It may be time for me to move on.

For your information, Ganesh is no “buddy” or “friend” of mine and has not been for several years.

My article is about the issues involved in Ganesh Chand’s termination, which are of wider application to other comparable situations in Fiji.

Professor Wadan Narsey
Picture
Picture
Narendra Prasad (left) with Bainimarama
Picture
When will FICAC tighten the noose around Chand and others who were reported for alleged corruption and abuse of office?
38 Comments
Kaila
11/1/2015 11:10:21 am

What a cracker!

We at FNU can't wait to read what the former Oxford don is going to disclose against the 'Mafia Dons' running our FNU with other academics jumping to Vice-Chancellor Ganesh Chand's defence.

Bring it on Fijileaks! With Lord Denning we say, EXPOSE THEM!

Reply
Why?
11/1/2015 11:32:52 am

What I would like to know is why is Professor Warden Narseys so concerned about natural justice for Dr Ganesh Chand and demanding that the Fijian public shed it's cowardly skin and demand transparency and accountability from the Bainimarama government? Is it because he is a big fish in the Fiji pond?That shit has been happening throughout the reign of the Bainimarama regime. - the arbitrary hiring and firing. Why make a special case for Ganeshwah?

Reply
Educationist
11/1/2015 11:51:21 am

The entire HR department of FNU needs to be audited. So many people there doing just nothing and have been employed by Ganpati dewa. Close to 19 young giorls are employed in VC's office(the ex VC) - does it mean this ex VC was not able to operate without having all these 'Gopis' around him???

Reply
And
11/1/2015 12:06:01 pm

And, if my memory serves me correctly Professor Warden Narsey's wife sat on PSC councils that presided over the unfair dismissals of many civil servants but we didn't hear them make any noise about taking any principled stand on the arbitrary use and abuse of power by the State authorities. why not?

Reply
Guru Ganpat
11/1/2015 12:41:06 pm

What I have seen so far from Victor's snippets its very clear that Aiyaz Khaiyum saw the Ficac report (Ganpat Fijiwood film script at FNU) and decided - ordered - FNU through his Education Minister to fire Chand; Mahend obliged, to protect his own bacside.

It looks like Wadan Narsey, not aware of the Ficac report, ran to his computer and began defending his chamcha buddy Ganesh!

Yes, Lord Denning, these crooks ought to be exposed and jailed!

Reply
Educationist
11/1/2015 12:47:24 pm

“the University is not fully utilizing its existing properties while it wishes to acquire new properties… Quite a number of properties are still not utilized and there are outside entities watching the University closely to see if they can have it and better utilize it.”

Was the Kanwa Minister pointing at C. J. Patel?
In his last meeting with FNU senior staff members, Ganpati Dewa did mentioned that C. J. Patel was after Uni Farm and that was one of the dispute which lead to his contract cut short.

But I would say that the warning in that speech of Kanwa Minister is correct and should have been taken seriously by Ganpati.

The Lautoka Gold Club property is a very good example. Ganpati was running a restaurant at the Golf Club without a proper Business License.

Reply
Fijileaks Editor to all Commenators
11/1/2015 12:53:45 pm

Please refrain from using terms like kanwa and other offensive words to express your view points, anger and whatever you feel like - Educationist any future use of the word kanwa will result in your posting not being approved by the blog administrators.

Thanks

Reply
Ganesh the despicable
11/1/2015 02:28:05 pm

The notoriously biased economist turned political commentator Wadan Narsey has unwittingly revealed in this defence of his old friend Ganesh Chand that Chand was the one selecting the FNU council previously, and that Minister Filipe Bole was merely a puppet of Chand. Chand was using Bole to fulfil his long term and very personal agenda of destroying USP.

"A notable strength of VC Chand was that he managed to create an FNU Council with an unparalleled array of leading professional organisations of relevance to FNU programs and students: the Fiji Law Society, Fiji Institute of Accountants, Fiji Principals’ Association, Fiji Chamber of Commerce, Fiji Institute of Engineers, Fiji Nurses Council, Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association, Fiji Medical Association, Trade Unions Confederation, Fiji Teachers’ Union."

Reply
Yep
11/1/2015 03:02:55 pm

That is typically the way of the empire builder. To surround himself with big names and big acquisitions for his own self-aggrandisement .that was the way of Ganesh Chand - just another megalomaniac who has been flourishing in the polluted Fiji political environment.

Reply
Educator
11/1/2015 02:33:54 pm

Two things are obvious from this article- Wadan Narsey will oppose any and all decisions/policies of the Bainimarama government, even when it means defending a crook like Ganesh Chand. There is no balance in his articles, which strips him off all credibility as a credible political commentator. Academics are supposed to write well researched and balanced articles, not the sort of politically motivated articles that Wadan churns out.

Reply
Toti
11/1/2015 02:42:20 pm

One hopes that Wadan has not been blinded and sidetracked by what happened to himsel to now champion a fellow loser like Ganesh. The Truth has just finally caught up. Who will ever forget the total disappearance of furniture and equipment owned by taxpayers from Ganesh's government quarters in the Domain, or his call for nationalization of Taukei land in his early days as political activist.

Reply
Academic sharks stick together
11/1/2015 03:19:01 pm

Wadan Narsey's heart bleeds for Ganpat. What about for the many staff the bully and dictator ganesh dismissed in a summary manner, without notice, or due diligence, or the appropriate financial compensation.

What about all the stress, financial hardships, family pressures and careers destroyed by the shark Ganesh in his selfish pursuits? Does not your bleed for these people, Wadan? How come you never called for fair play for the victims of Ganesh? You are very selective when it comes to who you defend, it seems. It's case of looking after your own kind.

Reply
Gross Injustice
11/1/2015 05:37:30 pm

He destroyed many lives and careers, swindled hundreds of thousands of public money, victimised and tortured many, caused immeasurable suffering and hardships to his victim's families, and yet he continues to walk free. Hail FICAC!

Although FNU is not confirming this, he possibly collected more than 0.5 million as settlement for the immature termination of his contract. None of his victims ever got such a compensation. These double standards are the hallmark of the Bainimarama regime.

Reply
No class
11/1/2015 04:09:38 pm

Ganesh had a massive chip on his shoulder regarding USP. he was extremely jealous and hostile towards USP VC Rajesh Chandra. It seemed to us the tensions existed from their days at University of Fiji.

Ganesh showed contempt for VC Rajesh Chandra. He used to ridicule the USP and its VC to us staff at every opportunity. If we did something wrong, he would say, 'is that what you learnt at USP?' Ganesh was a crude, mannerless man with no class. We hated his mocking tone and know-it-all, superior, smart-arse attitude.

Wadan knows shit about Ganesh. He got what he deserved.

Reply
John
11/1/2015 04:35:08 pm

Prof Narsey, Ganesh has done more than enough damage to FNU and in particular the College of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forest (CAFF). Students are not even struggling in their studies at CAFF. Lecturers from India and Nigeria are giving out free passes to the students and they are only given 2 units to teach per trimester with exorbitant salary. They are warned that they need to give passes to the students or else their contract will be terminated.
In Agriculture extension they recruited a Soil scientist from India to teach the unit overlooking locals who are much qualified. Because of her non-professional in Agricultural extension she only read out notes to the students during lectures.
They have introduced Veterinary Science programme, without all the facilities and resources needed for effective teaching.There is no farm run by the college to assist the students of animal science and crop production. This is a must in every agricultural college run by universities worldwide.
Locals experts who toiled so hard in their effort to developed the college are being sidelined by inexperienced Indian lecturers who dont know anything about Fiji and the Pacific.

The students from CAFF and Fiji as a whole will be suffering because we will not be getting qualified graduates.

Reply
Bitter Wadan
11/1/2015 05:33:04 pm

If one can find a single positive article wirtten by Wadan about the Bainimarama regime despite the many positive reforms they have instituted (alongside the bad ones), he would still have some credibility as an academic. The fact that he consistently writes against the government, including when they take a very progressive decision of sacking a highly corrupt, junglee, immoral, crude, thieving VC of the national university, and thus liberate the institution from the tentacles of this monster and allow it to flourish and develop into a "proper" university with a professional culture, shows that Wadan has an axe to grind. He has an agenda and he is mobilising public support to further his own selfish agenda. Any economist worth their salt, would provide balanced analysis of government policies not forever take a slant against government, and refuse to responsibly promote positive economic policies. Apart from talking of dark and doom, this once revered economist has not made any positive contributions to the Fijian economy.

Reply
Below FL standard
11/1/2015 05:59:33 pm

Why did Fiji leaks break from tradition, and publish a stupid article? Most of the articles on Fiji leaks are in national interest, this one's in the interest of Ganesh Chand, the author's friend. Fiji leaks is mobilising support for a monster, one who is way more crude and ruthless than Bai and Khai.

Reply
Western Heat
11/1/2015 06:05:01 pm

Ganesh Chand's exit was already written on the wall a long time ago. The only thing that mattered most during his term were:
1. Hire as many young girls without work experience
2. Amuse himself every day by watching these poor young girls
3. Fire anyone who dared to raise a finger against him or his team of thieves/thugs
4. Hire more young girls to replace those that he booted out
5. Side transfer matured women to other departments so that he could transfer younger girls to his office
6. Ask Narend (Dir of HR and Finance) if he also wanted younger girls in his dept too - then create posts for them out of the ordinary
7. Do the exactly same thing with Mahend Reddy....

I can attest to that since I often did a lot of the induction tours for all newly appointed FNU Staff and majority of all new recruits were young girls who were fresh of University and without any work experience. Most of the time when they introduced themselves to us we could see in most cases that they were either hired to work in one of these three Depts....VC's office, HR/ Finance Office or Dean Mahend's office...the more matured ones were often lecturers or work in other areas within FNU. I am not surprised at the level of sexual misconducts that have surfaced for these three men - now I am wondering if at any point in time there girls were hired after a series of wild night outs with these men. Another guy to seriously watch like a hawk is the Director NTPC - Kamlesh Prakash who also has a few of these young girls in his office as well and I wont be surprised that he too like the rest is having a good time with them both during and after hours of work...its all too obvious to miss and all these Pride comes before a Fall...that's for sure!!!

Reply
Ganesh the despicable
11/1/2015 06:05:37 pm

Time for Ganesh Chand to reflect back and repent on his sins. He would have way more sympathy if he had treated others well when he was high and mighty. As they say- "do unto others what you want them to do unto you". He has reaped what he sowed but justice won't truly be served until the day he lands up in Naboro.

Reply
Ravana ke avtar
11/1/2015 06:13:04 pm

Ganesh's obsession to outdo USP and VC Rajesh Chandra saw him engage in a ruthless and reckless academic 'arms race' with USP. it did some good, as Wadan points out.

But Ganesh's bitterness and personalisation of the contest saw him overstep his mark and lose sense of everything else. It cost him his job and reputation, while his nemesis, the cool-headed Rajesh Chandra, has had his term renewed, and is doing an excellent job.

Pride, jealousy and bitterness got the better of Ganesh, damaged the university, its staff and students, and led to his fall.

The parallels with the evil Ravana in the Ramayana are striking. Like Ravana, Ganesh was also done in because of his lust for another man's wife!

Reply
Straight Shooter
11/1/2015 06:39:31 pm

Warden certainly has very selective memory recall when it comes to his fellow academic, Ganesh.

Reply
And
11/1/2015 08:03:10 pm

And, Ganesh Chand is not the first ( and not likely to be the last) academic to go to seed - to become a tatti fala. This is what happens when power gets to people's head. They start to act as if the rules, norms, and even the law does not apply to them as they apply to other ordinary citizens

Reply
Original Tooraki boy
12/1/2015 02:26:56 am

Fellow bloggers please forgive The good Professor as he is no friend of Ganeshwar Chand.
Professor should have read Ficac reports on Dr Chand which was carried out in 2012 and published in fijileaks.
The champion of human rights professor should be allowed to write another article to correct his views on Dr Chand.

Reply
Straight Shooter
12/1/2015 02:55:15 am

In the Technial Training areas, Industry training programs have suffered under the reigns of Ganesh and will need lots of work to get it to where it was during TPAF days.Specially tailored evening classes used to be thriving until FNU took over TPAF. Now TPAF is practically deserted in the evenings which just goes to show the lack of confidence of workers in the current programs under FNU. Another area is the Trade Testing Department where all the qualified staff were replaced by people not meeting the MQR thus eroding the value of the Trade Test Certification...the list goes on...

Reply
Anit Singh
12/1/2015 04:38:04 am

Professor Narsey has a blog, I know but I never visit.

What Victor Lal says in a Line would take Professor Nine.

Alas, I wish I had the time to make sense of all that, the Professor says, sometimes. But Professor is a principled man, standing unwavering for democratic ideals. And I respect him hugely for that. His heart is at the right place, most of the times but he is way off the mark -this one time – for sure.

Ganesh is good Riddance, Professor Narsey…a good Riddance!

Exactly like Chor Bainimarama and Chor Khaiyum…would be one day, too soon …a good Riddance!

Reply
observer
12/1/2015 04:41:30 am

Worthy reading and interesting development. Thank you fijileaks.

Reply
Fijileaks Editor
12/1/2015 05:07:08 am

Professor Narsey has sent us the following he has sent to Editor of C4/5

Dear Editor C4.5
I don’t mind you publishing comments that disagree with my view and criticise me.

But I am dismayed when you publish someone anonymously accusing me of losing my job because I was asking for money to pass students.

This is a blatant and slanderous lie; and you probably know it; yet you still go ahead and publish it.

You also publish nasty comments about “vudi” etc being pushed up my backside.

I am losing all hope of your blog site being fair to someone like me who has put his neck on the chopping block for eight years now (often on your site), opposing the Bainimarama Regime under my own name while living in Fiji and vulnerable to their arbitrary violence. It may be time for me to move on.

For your information, Ganesh is no “buddy” or “friend” of mine and has not been for several years.

My article is about the issues involved in Ganesh Chand’s termination, which are of wider application to other comparable situations in Fiji.

Professor Wadan Narsey

Reply
Wrong Wadan
12/1/2015 06:16:03 am

If for eight long years you had your neck on the chopping block - and it never rolled - then obviously, you were not worth the chop, Professor Narsey!

So stop seeking attention to yourself Professor and take heed of the public opinion and raw anger expressed herein.

Chors like Dr. Ganesh Chand and Dr. Mahendra Reddy just have to go - NOW. Dr. Reddy MUST resign too!-

Whether You, Wadan like it or not - doesn't matter.

Reply
Yep
12/1/2015 12:58:13 pm

Fairness calls for credit to be given where credit is due. And, credit is indeed due to Warden for sticking his neck out to fight the good fight against the Bainimarama- Khaiyum Dictatorship in Fiji for the past 8 years. He has done more than most to expose the dictatorship's misdeeds.
But even good people can get things wrong from time to time. And this time with regards to Ganesh Chand, Warden has got it wrong.
Ganesh is a classic example of a man going to seed because power had got to his head. Ganesh stands accused of abuse of power and he must get his just desert.

ALL RESIGN!
12/1/2015 08:27:40 am

Dr. Mahendra Reddy can't absolve himself from taking some responsibility for the 'mishaps' of the FNU and blame Dr. Chand only. The pair of Ganesh and Reddy were behaving exactly the pair of Khaiyum and Bainimarama. Saab ke Saab Sala CHOR.

All Four of Then MUST RESIGN !

Reply
And
12/1/2015 12:47:01 pm

And some people continue to make impotent calls for the thug rulers of Fiji and their cronies to resign. THAT will not happen. These are shameless, unscrupulous and greedy, power hungry people. The only way to get rid of them is a Peoples Power revolution.

Reply
Straight Shooter
12/1/2015 01:49:09 pm

While we are on that matter, lets not forget Ganesh's first cousin and stooge, Kamlesh Prakash who he brought in out of nowhere to head the National Training and Productivity Center. From micro managing in areas that he has no expertise in to appointing training staff without the proper qualifications to appointing a proven chor and incompetent person like Sahadeo to manage the Trade Testing Department. Kamlesh has systematically in cahoots with Ganesh stripped the NTPC of former highly qualified and competent staff of TPAF and replaced them with fellow yes men...He must go too!!!! Hands on Skills training in Fiji will continue to decline under Mr Kamlesh Yes Man.

Reply
Educationist
12/1/2015 02:01:55 pm

The Fiji government set out to achieve excellence in education, but under the dictatorship of Ganesh, all self-respecting and capable people left high quality institutions like TPAF and FSM. In the case of TPAF, the confidence in their programs has greatly deteriorated. The competent people have been replaced by friends, relatives and cronies of Ganesh, Kamlesh and Naren. These Indo-Fijians should be utterly ashamed of the disgrace they have brought upon their community through their corrupt and shameless acts. The government and all people of Fiji should be very concerned about the drop in standard of these once renowned training institutions. The government needs to swiftly commission a team to assess the quality of programs, determine any decline in quality, identify reasons for the decline, and institute reforms to reverse any regressive changes, and hopefully restore quality of the programs.

Reply
And
12/1/2015 04:33:39 pm

And charge those responsible for corrupt practices at these institutions .

Reply
Ganpat is still the winner
12/1/2015 05:17:56 pm

Despite the sacking, the biggest winner here is Ganesh yet again. He walked away with a fortune, yes... a payout of half a million dollars. Money he has received for nothing, he didn't need to work to earn it. His victims whose lives have been destroyed have received nothing. I wonder how he gets to sleep every night. Doesn't it bother this conscience less man that he abused his power to cause so much suffering.

Reply
VoR
12/1/2015 05:19:43 pm

I feel the majority of respondents have missed the point, that is that the democratically elected government is very much acting like it were a regime, which it is. Its reluctance to follow proper procedures while adjusting laws to meet its purposes remains in principle, wrong. Prof Narsey is probably stating that: two wrongs never make a right. Similarly, an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind....probably where the government of Fiji is leading its citizens.

Reply
observer
12/1/2015 06:00:26 pm

From the way things are in Fiji, it would be reasonable to suggest that the country is like a fish that is rotting from the head!

Reply
Rot In the Head
13/1/2015 05:02:43 am

I quite agree with you - the rot in the head started when Bainimarama choro (pocketed) the Leave pay, which he KNEW was not his entitlements. Forget about TREASON which is a tolerable and a lesser Crime since the precedent of Rabuka.

The cancer of 'greed' has since pervaded Bainimarama's little brains and eaten away any moral conscience the man may have had.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    editor@fijileaks.com

    ARCHIVES

    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    Picture
    Picture