Pal Ahluwalia, left, and Biman Prasad at the opening of the 99th USP Council Meeting at Auckland University. 20 May 2025 Photo: RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis
The Fijian Deputy Prime Minister and Minster for Finance Biman Prasad says suggestions that he is colluding with the University of the South Pacific (USP) vice-chancellor and president are "nonsense".
Prasad and Education Minister Aseri Radrodro are in Auckland for the 99th USP Council meeting this week.
He has been accused of colluding with USP's chief executive Professor Pal Ahluwalia in a "clear case of conflict of interest".
"The USP Council is aware that USP is experiencing a leadership crisis," according to a letter to editor published by the Samoa Observer.
"Professor Pal Ahluwalia has unfortunately turned out to be a divisive and demoralising head of the regional institution lacking in vision, statecraft and worst of all the undermining of staff of regional member countries.
"He has a close personal relationship with the DPM Prasad.
"We have confirmed reports that over the past week, [Prasad] and Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor Gurmeet Singh have been meeting with Professor Ahluwalia at the VCP's residence, a clear case of collusion."
However, Prasad has called the allegations "nonsense," telling RNZ Pacific, "I met him many times at his house."
"I meet a lot of people at the university. I was a professor at the university, and many of these people right around the table are my friends [with] whom I have had lunch, dinner, coffee. I have visited their places.
"The Prime Minister of Samoa is a good friend of mine. You know, when she comes, she comes to my home. So I can't understand this nonsense that comes from people. Some people have nothing else to do."
The regional university is jointly owned by 12 Pacific Island governments.
The institution has been facing ongoing problems involving leadership and staff dissatisfaction, with Fiji-based unions picketing last October after the sacking of a staff union leader.
Pal Ahluwalia, Biman Prasad and Aseri Radrodro at the opening of the 99th USP Council Meeting at Auckland University. 20 May 2025 Photo: RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis
According to Prasad, there is no leadership crisis.
"I think that is an exaggeration. Of course, vice-chancellors [and] political leaders always have issues. In any organisation, nobody can be perfect and you cannot satisfy everyone.
"But this [USP] Council is a very professional, good thinking people, who have the university in their hearts and minds.
"This is a very important institution for the region, and our government - compared to what the previous government did to the university - has actually restored that.
"We have restored academic freedom. We have restored grant funding to the university. The university was struggling. There is no leadership crisis and the current vice chancellor's position finishes in August next year.
He said the USP will be looking for a new vice-chancellor "very soon".
Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff in Suva want the Vice-Chancellor out. 18 October 2024 Photo: Facebook / Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff
'These are normal things'
Prasad said he has been a union president himself and sat on the USP Council as a union leader for many years.
He said the unions always have a legitimate right to raise issues and questions about leadership.
"I used to have issues with the vice-chancellor. I served under three vice-chancellors, so these are normal things.
"You have that in New Zealand - a very strong tertiary union who put the university administration [and] the government on their sport as part of what you get in a democracy."
"The media must not just quickly jump with some rumors. These are noise [which] means you are in a democracy, whether it is coming from the unions, whether it is coming from the workers, whether it is coming from NGOs.
He said USP has always been a big success story of regionalism, regional cooperation, and regional integration.
He said many of those who are part of the USP Council meeting have studied at the university.
"It is the conscience of the Pacific. It obviously has had challenges over the last 50 years of its existence.
"But it remains one of the most revered, most celebrated institution and the resolve of every leader, every minister in every country is to see USP progress, and that is what it will do."
