I don’t know the man but I have many contacts at Unitech amongst staff and know the inner workings of government that are affecting the paralysis at Unitech.
Unwittingly, Unitech Acting VC Professor John Pumwa has become the main obstacle to resolving the Unitech Saga. Let me explain.
When it appeared that the Unitech Saga was an issue between the current VC (Albert Schram) versus those whose power was threatened by Shram’s explorations of Unitech finances, the main obstacles to progress were former Chancellor Philip Stagg and Pro-Chancellor Ralph Saulep of the original Council, also Professor Narayan Gehlot of Unitech who was later terminated but befriended HERST Minister David Arore. Effectively neutralising those obstacles would have resolved the Unitech Saga.
What exactly ‘resolves’ the Unitech Saga? Nearly everyone who has spoken out has focused on the issue of justice, achieved simultaneously through the routing of corruption and the vindication of the deported VC Albert Schram. The return of Dr Schram is clearly central to resolving the Saga.
During 2012 curtailing the damaging effects of the above four individuals was the goal. Even following their disposal, they continued to influence the process through court cases, as well as starting the process that led to Dr Schram’s deportation. However, their influence has mostly faded as a much bigger obstacle appeared.
The big obstacle is none other than our Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill.
Mr O’Neill was suspected for some time as influencing the Foreign Affairs Department in the Unitech case. Certainly we know that he deports expatriates who are considered a threat to Mr O’Neill’s objectives, the recent deportation of Mark Davies of the PNG Sustainable Development Fund (which once managed the Ok Tedi revenue) being the best example. The legal instruments that allow the Prime Minister to kick out whoever he likes remain dubious but that has not worried the Prime Minister.
That the Prime Minister is, in fact, the principal person preventing the resolution of the Unitech Saga inadvertently came from the mouth of Acting VC John Pumwa. Professor Pumwa proudly spoke about meeting with the Prime Minister and inviting him to speak at this year’s Unitech Graduation (according to the Prime Minister’s office, O’Neill accepted).
In recent weeks there has been documentation of Professor Pumwa telling different audiences that Dr Schram is not coming back to Unitech and that the Prime Minister essentially guaranteed that Professor Pumwa would become the permanent VC. Professor Pumwa would have no good reason to state to so many people that he was the Prime Minister’s choice, unless the Prime Minister had given that assurance.
That the Prime Minister might be the one who is preventing the Migration Office from re-issuing Dr Shram’s work visa makes sense for another reason too: the Prime Minister is well known for scheming, dictating and meddling as necessary in various government departments even when he has no legal authority to do so. Certain ministers now follow the O’Neill style. The recent news that State Enterprise Minister Ben Micah succeeded (does he have legal authority?) in getting the governing board of PNG Power to reinstate CEO John Tangit over the recently appointed expatriate Brendan Rafter is an example. In designating appointments, the Prime Minister thinks like any dictator. He prefers loyalty over competence and meeking following orders over exhibiting strong leadership. His government has convincingly demonstrated that he favours less competent citizens over more competent expatriate candidates.
However, the Prime Minister’s decision not to allow Dr Schram to return to his job at Unitech initially succeeded on secrecy, but remained somewhat precarious without their being a ready replacement for Dr Schram. Professor Pumwa now fills that role and it is immaterial that the Prime Minister has no legal authority to appoint anyone as Unitech VC. The Prime Minister and many of his ministers have no qualms at resorting to fearful intimidation against any who resist his will. The Prime Minister strengthened his hand by having a ready replacement in the form of Professor Pumwa to add to his secret blocking of Dr Schram’s work visa. What he did not count on was Professor Pumwa not keeping secret that he was the Prime Minister’s designate.
Knowing all the above, why would Professor Pumwa rather than Prime Minister O’Neill be considered the principal obstacle to resolving Unitech Saga? To remove an iceberg, you start by chopping off its chunks. Prime Minister is the iceberg, Professor Pumwa is the ice block. Secondly, the public airing of the Prime Minister’s promises to Professor Pumwa effectively destroyed any hope of the Professor being seen as a neutral negotiating party who might have won the students over to a life without Dr Schram as VC. This damage now extends to the entire executive management members as the SRC trusts none of them after recent revelations and refuse to negotiate with them.
Removing Professor Puma (indeed, removing the entire executive management) would knock out an important building post in the Prime Minister’s plan to keep Dr Schram out, as well as creating a vacuum in which an astute, fast moving Sir Nagora Bogan could move into. This in turn would create the first opportunity to bring students and the Unitech Council into a much needed negotiation process. The students would see the removal of Professor Pumwa as Acting VC as significant movement towards their goal of ‘justice for Schram’ which I believe would make students more open towards negotiation.
Of course, it is unlikely that the Unitech Council would terminate Professor Pumwa, partly because they have no obvious replacement (would Sir Nagora be a possibility?) and partly because this would be too strong a slap in the face of the Prime Minister and risk his wrath.
The only remaining recourse is for Professor John Pumwa (and possibly the rest of the senior executive management) to tender their resignations to Chancellor Sir Nagora Bogan. But Professor Pumwa must know that the window of opportunity is fast closing to resolve Unitech Saga in a way that prevents violence and perhaps salvages the school year.
Will he do the right thing?