USP Saga: Vote Drama, Council Meeting In Recess

Twenty-two University of the South Pacific (USP) council members voted for the recusal of the Pro-Chancellor and Council chair Winston Thompson, Deputy Pro-Chancellor and Deputy Chair of Council Aloma Johansson and Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee Mahmood Khan, from last Friday’s meeting.

Only seven voted against the recusal while two abstained.

The council meeting is currently in recess.

It will be reconvened soon.

Last Friday, Mr Thompson was seen leaving the meeting venue around lunchtime. Nauru President Lionel Rouwen Aingimea then chaired the meeting.

It is understood that it took three hours to convince the trio to recuse themselves from the meeting.

A vote was taken to prove that the majority wanted them to vacate the meeting.

The meeting saw the reinstatement of USP Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Pal Ahluwalia.

In its resolution, the council was not convinced that due process was followed in the suspension of Professor Ahluwalia by the council’s executive committee chaired by Mr Thompson. He was suspended from duties on pay and without withdrawal of privileges after a report by the Audit and Risk Committee Chair Mahmood Shah made a series of allegations.

Edited by Naisa Koroi

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