FNU vice-chancellor allegations will be dealt with: PM

Allegations surrounding the Fiji National University (FNU) vice chancellor Unaisi Nabobo-Baba will be addressed, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says.

A former senior FNU staff member who filed a whistleblower report in January 2025 alleged repeated incidents of bullying and unfair treatment before resigning months before the end of their contract.

The allegations reportedly included bias and discrimination in management decisions, bullying and victimisation of staff, mismanagement and abuse of authority within the university’s leadership, controversial appointments and promotions, including the awarding of academic title and Human resource decisions, such as recruitment and disciplinary processes, allegedly bypassing proper oversight.

“The allegations will continue to be there and they will be dealt with,” Mr Rabuka said.

He made the comment while confirming that the appointment of members to the FNU Council is still under consideration.

Mr Rabuka said the final decision would depend on the review of recommendations submitted by the Minister for Education.

He confirmed that a list of potential council members had been sent to his office but he had yet to review the details.

“Seven names were submitted,” Mr Rabuka said.

“I believe they are all names that I had seen before and I was comfortable with, so approval is a matter of when I get it,” he said.

Mr Rabuka also addressed a request from former FNU Council chairperson Semesa Karavaki, who had reportedly sought a meeting with him regarding allegations against the council’s current vice-chancellor.

Mr Rabuka said the request arrived while he was overseas and circumstances had since changed.

“I do not need to meet him because everything has moved on from where we were when he wanted to meet,” he said.

Mr Rabuka acknowledged concerns about the functionality of the FNU council, indicating there is currently no fully operational governing council in place.

“There’s not a council in place,” he said.

He said an amendment to the Fiji National University Act would soon be introduced in Parliament.

“There’s an FNU Bill coming up, an amendment to the Act, and maybe things will be clearer after that. It will be moved tonight and for debate tomorrow,” he said.

Questions were also raised about the independence of the appointment process, including allegations that the university’s vice-chancellor may have influenced the list of nominees.

Mr Rabuka said the final decision would be made objectively after consultations with the responsible minister.

“I will deal with the list of names with the minister, and whoever the list originated from, I will decide,” he said.

The Prime Minister added that the criteria for council appointments were already outlined in legislation.

“That’s already in the Act,” he said.