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USP STAFF SKULLDUGGERY: Crying out for answers from VC Chandra!

7/3/2014

19 Comments

 
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The following host of questions have been sent to Fijileaks for publication:

USP’s Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Rajesh Chandra, often boasts about USP as model for the region. The problem is that since Chandra became Vice Chancellor, USP staff management are more rotten than before. Making the mess are Vice Chancellor Rajesh Chandra, USP Council Chairman (Ikbal Janif) and Deputy Chair (Mrs Fekita Utoikamanu).         

Janif is in debt to Chandra, who helped elect Janif, with no university degree, as Chairman of USP Council against far more qualified Solomon Islander with a PhD. Janif won the election by only one vote because VC Rajesh Chandra voted for him.
Question 1:    
Why USP Deputy Chair of Council (Mrs Fekita Utoikamanu) reviews VC Chandra’s performance, when she has conflict of interest;  her husband (Siosiua Utoikanu) depends on VC Chandra for appointment as Head of the PICPA program at USP.
Question 2:   
How Anjeela Jokhan (a loyal supporter of Chandra) was appointed as Associate Professor and Dean of FSTE when all Heads of Schools at FSTE and all official referees were negative and Jokhan was not a professor?  Did VC Chandra irregularly appoint extra referees to give favorable references for Jokhan?
Question 3:     
How Drew Alliburton (husband of Professor Susan Kelly, former Deputy VC) was appointed at FBE when Screening Committee concluded he was not appointable?
Question 4: 
What circumstances lay behind the forced resignation of famous economist Professor Warden Narsey?
Question 5:     
What circumstances lay behind the resignation of bright senior management such as Adi Eci Nabalarua (Pro VC and iTaukei academic), Munif (best Chief Financial Officer USP ever had), and Dr Michael Gregory (Pro VC). 
Why did all of them join the Fiji National University instead of staying at the region’s “premier university”?
Question 6:     
Why Deputy VC Professor Susan Kelly resign suddenly?  Is it true she discovered sexual relationship between a USP staff member and a female student who was later allegedly murdered, while her husband’s complaint to USP was ignored (husband later allegedly committed suicide). 
Why VC Chandra, Janif and Fekita did not respond to Kelly’s complaints?
Did USP pay Kelly “to go away” because she found USP was not following rules? 
(Kelly and Alliburton also joined the  FNU after leaving USP).
Question 7:   
Why the sudden suspension of a very senior and most productive professional staff member, who was not given  the opportunity to respond before suspension,  and only on alleged complaints from the Finance and Investment Committee? 
Question 8:     
Why this important Finance and Investment Committee at USP, chaired by a director of very minor accounting firm, when many experienced senior accountants with USP experience are ignored (like Jenny Seeto and Naiveli)?
Does USP Chairman (Janif) have conflict of interest because this accounting lady leases office space from Janif?
Question 9:   
Why VC Chandra refused to appoint an eminently qualified and experienced USP Professor as Deputy President, instead of appointing another applicant inferior on all academic and administrative grounds? 
Was appointment process irregular? The Chairman of the Appointment Committee (Janif) was sick on the day, and instead of postponing the appointment (already delayed for six months), Fekita, not a member of the Appointment Committee, chaired the meeting, and strongly supported the inferior candidate (who happens to be from her own home country, Tonga)? 
Who asked Fekita to chair this important meeting and were all the Appointment Committee members present?
Question 10:   
Is USP Council told how much USP spends on one legal company annually to cover up staffing mistakes by VC Chandra?
What legal advice was given by this legal company to VC on USP staffing problems?

Many think USP member country representatives come to Council meetings only for wining, dining and shopping, and never investigating any petitions, while VC Chandra, Janif and Fekita, run rings around them.  To protect USP's reputation, USP Council must establish independent outside review of all the matters raised here, and any others to be raised by the USP staff and students.

Fijileaks Editor:
We are trying to contact all those who stand accused for their comments.
19 Comments
Read all about it!
7/3/2014 02:21:38 pm

USP in the news again - for all the wrong reasons. The poor leadership of VC Rajesh Chandra and deputy Esther Williams 'shining' through.

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Poor state of affairs at USP under the dictator link
7/3/2014 04:10:28 pm

The list of staff at USP who have been wronged since2008 is so long that one will need to scroll this page long to reach the end. Those who have been invited in the " King's" round table are those who are either family, friends or favorites of VC or his wife. Check out Neeta in his office-close friend of vc's wife,wedding planner for their son's wedding. Contract was not renewed , vc overturned decision, put her near him. Jay Karan-useless,inefficient bully, Arvind Patel-numerous sexual harassment cases-ignored since he is the spy for vc. Sudesh MIshra-numerous unimaginable levels of poor academic and professional misconducts-close chum of vc. Govinda Lingam- partner of vc in destroying the union at USP- vc's mission accomplisher. There is money to decorate gardens around admin building but not for printers, computers for regional campuses. Staff are underpaid but his round table team get trips, bonuses and hefty pays. Lower paid staff can't afford medical, his cronies get all benefits. Staff have years and years of grievance not heard by or anything done by hr, vc pays millions to lawyers for cases all of which usp loses. Wife demands that staff treat vc's house like a "White House" and have had cases at labour department for not paying the housemaid .There is need for an external review of everything this dictator has done since he took office. Many have left university and many are pressured to leave by this dictator. Seems vc has the mission to ruin the regional institute before he leaves. Region has to act now before he buries the institute.

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Fear indoctrination at USP
12/3/2014 02:22:24 am

Is it true that academics at USP are leaving due to fear indoctrination committed by the dictator in the form of the VC?
Is it true that madam VC ( as she likes to be called) calls and invites staff home for tea and tells them to support her husband otherwise face the music
Is it true that all petitions and allegations against VC never reached the Council and the Chair " just asked the dictator" to respond and there " were naturally no cases to answer.
Is it true that the tyranny of this dictator has reached nausea tic level and everyone is just fed up.
Is it true that staff were fired for putting their views to the Council when nothing was done. But no action has been taken when the dictator's favorites write to the Chair.

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Bodyguard
7/3/2014 04:14:08 pm

this is just tip of iceberg....more investigative journalism will unearth more 'conspiracy' in USP.

problem when 'education attained' is abused for self interest.
Jokhan, VC Chandra, etc.

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Bodyguard
7/3/2014 04:18:03 pm

no wonder Sada Reddy RBF and VC Rajesh Chandra were overlooked every time whenever new Governor or USP VC was to be appointed in yester years.

when they were appointed to the position....their true color just came out.

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Lolly
8/3/2014 04:14:06 pm

Remember some time back these two were shareholders for a holiday home setup in Rakiraki. Of course they share ignorance, inefficiency, and much more. It will be interesting if someone finds out who the 3rd partner was.

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Jobs for the boys
7/3/2014 07:12:53 pm

USP under VC Rajesh Chandra has become synonymous with dubious appointments and promotions that reek of nepotism and foul play. Another question for the VC: How was Jai Kumar appointed USP's marketing and development manager? The post was never advertised, Jai Kumar has no qualifications in the field, and he was a ForumSec reject, at least according blog posts in the recent past. The VC has maintained a clever and stoney silence on all these issues.

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Maharaj
7/3/2014 10:19:29 pm

There has also been a lot of talk about Premila Kumar's husband being irregularly appointed to a very senior post as a Director.

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Spy
7/3/2014 11:27:53 pm

Jai Kumar was appointed directly by VC without advert. He was without a job and doing his PhD. Jai is a racist and doesn't consider I Taukei for his staff.
Recent VC stopped a HR Manager appointment despite the I Taukei candidate toppin the interview and presentation.
These 2 are racists and must be dealt with as soon as SODELPA comes in.

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VC Rajesh Chandra's bulldog
8/3/2014 01:48:31 am

Then there is librarian turned deputy vice-chancellor, Dr Esther Williams, VC Rajesh Chandra's bulldog, who bullied and intimidated staff. She was supposed to have left USP this year. But Rajesh creates a new post for her. All she does is meet and greet, for which she is paid a fat salary. Money taken from staff salaries and student facilities is diverted to such wasted in this manner. Is it any wonder that the level staff dissatisfaction is the highest ever at USP, as revealed in a poll undertaken by th eunion. Even Anthony Tarr was far better than Rajesh Chandra.

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Lolly
8/3/2014 04:18:46 pm

The whole bunch of SMT include 3rd rate academics with pathetic teaching and research background. The only thing that holds all together is that they either support vc or stay mum to all his idiocentric actions. Esther isn't the only one.

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Directionless at USP
8/3/2014 06:15:37 pm

Under Rajesh Chandra, there is no long-term vision in USP.
All staff benefits are being eroded.
This includes staff development, which benefited Pacific Islanders. The regional foundation is being systematically destroyed.
There is a heavy reliance on expats.
Because VC has reduced pay, even expats leave after a while.
Students suffer the most.
Meanwhile VC has built huge bureaucracy to make his work easier.
All this is hidden behind the PR.
rajesh Chandra is the worst VC in USP's history.

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A case study in sychophancy for USP students
9/3/2014 04:36:16 pm

Staff Union President Govind Lingam is a lackey of VC Rajesh Chandra. The union is doing virtually nothing to protect staff rights. We in the school of education are mystified how lingam was promoted. We believe that like Angela Jokhan, Lingam was also promoted associate professor in a questionable manner. Now he is eyeing a professorship and sucking up to VC. no doubt he will get it since he is among those at the king's table. This is another way Rajesh Chandra is destroying academic standards - promoting people based on their loyalty to him rather than on academic credentials. If you want to see sycophancy at its best, go to USP. In fact, USP's vice-chancellor is a good case study for USP school of governance and MBA students.

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The truth about USP degrees
9/3/2014 11:15:37 pm

USP VC Rajesh Chandra boasts that USP degrees are equivalent to Australian ones. In reality, most USP graduates are of a pretty low standard, and can’t string together a sentence. The ones from the law school are not fit to practice. The ones from the school of education and the the school of accounting are equally bad. This has been the case for years, with no improvement in sight. Ask any employer.

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Mafiaism in academia?
10/3/2014 12:22:43 am

Haha, rajesh chandra sounds more like a mafia don than a VC, with a network of hitmen and enforcers - esther williams, Govind Lingam Angela Jokhan, and arvind patel. he has even penetrated the the usp council by bribing members with cushy jobs. It is a very elaborate network. It will be hard to dislodge this don.

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Teaching degree factory
10/3/2014 07:19:42 pm

The truth about USP degrees has a point. The substandard graduates from USP's school of education have been infecting the whole education system. It explains why school standards have declined overs the years. poorly trained teachers churned out by USP make for poor students. These students pass through the education system. When they reach university they lack basic writing skills. The result is manifested in the poor standards of graduates USP churns out. It's a vicious cycle that affects national productivity. USP carries the large share of the responsibility. USP VC Rajesh Chandra should get off this arse and give the school of education a big shake up.

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Clampdown on academic freedom of association at USP
10/3/2014 11:24:17 pm

SHOULD THIS GO ON YOUR COVER PAGE?

SUVA (Fiji Sun): A University of the South Pacific academic has been sacked by the university after it invoked a new ban against staff being elected into political party leadership positions.Assistant law lecturer Lynda Tabuya, who is also the union-based People's Democratic Party (PDP) Suva branch secretary, told the Fiji Sun newspaper that she had informed the university of her election as a PDP office bearer last year and it had no problem with this.But a month ago, the university said it had a new policy which would not allow university staff to "hold official positions in any political party".After this, Tabuya was told to resign or face the axe. When she did not resign, the university sacked her.USP's Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Law and Education, Dr Akanisi Kedrayate, told the Fiji Sun that staff had to choose between working for the university or a political party and that nobody had been forced out.This is not the first time that USP management has clamped down on freedom of expression and association.Last year, Professor Wadan Narsey was invited as chief guest of the USP Journalism Students Association to celebrate UNESCO World Press Freedom Day, but was removed from the programme under instruction from USP management after penning a speech saying that "the Fiji regime's decrees, public stance and prosecutions of media owners, publishers and editors, have effectively prevented the media from being a 'watchdog' on government"."Some media organisations are propaganda arms.

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VC Rajesh Chandra ally of illegal regime
11/3/2014 04:03:52 pm

USP should be a place where democratic rights and principles should be taught. Rajesh Chandra is himself an ally to the current illegal regime.He has spoken in favor of the thugs so many times whilst not allowing his staff and students to openly practice democratic rights. I wonder what is taught at USP.

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Viliame Mulo
12/2/2015 01:32:31 am

Bloody aliens.....they do not belong here.

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