Power cut at Unitech

By PETER KORUGL
PNG Power Limited has cut the power supply to the Papua New Guinea University of Technology due to unpaid electricity bills, preventing students from having access to vital facilities for their studies.
The power supplier opted to take the drastic action after the university failed to settle outstanding bills totalling K600,000 incurred this year.
The power disconnection came to light only yesterday when frustrated students, claiming they were unable to study properly, called a forum and demanded the administration to explain why the bills were not settled and when the problem would be rectified.
According to staff and students on the Taraka campus in Lae, Morobe province, the power disconnection affected the library, lecture rooms and other academic facilities as well as communication between the university and the outside world.
�gStudents cannot study because the library, laboratories and classrooms are without power,�h a senior electrical engineering student said, adding that the main server was out.
�gWe are unable to communicate with the outside world because our telephones and internet service are out as well due to the power situation.�h

One of the academic facilities affected was the Mining Engineering Department�fs laboratory.
Staff at the laboratory said they could not carry out tests and analyse rock samples sent in from the Hidden Valley and Wafi gold projects because the laboratory was without power.
Acting Vice-Chancellor, Wilson Tovirika told the students that the university was unable to settle the electricity bills because it had no money.
�gIf we settle the debt, we would not have enough money to run the university for the rest of the academic year,�h he said.
Mr Tovirika said over K2 million the university had to pay for the electricity was used to rehabilitate staff houses and academic infrastructure this year.
Registrar Allan Sako told the students that some money was paid to PNG Power already and power should have been reconnected yesterday.
Mr Sako and Mr Tovirika said the university paid K230,000 two weeks ago to PNG Power and another K253,000 was paid yesterday and PNG Power gave its assurance that it would reconnect the power supply.

Unitech, once an admired institution is now a complete disgrace to the country. The years of producing high sort after graduates, and pioneer research work are things of the past now. Staff moral, pride and respect for this institution is no longer existent. Students have lost respect and faith in lecturers as a result of the inadequacy of this institution's management to provide much need support for academic programs proper rewarding systems for staff. The current woes are a result of poor
management coupled with very poor guidance and foresight by the current
management and council. These problems will continue to happen as long as the current management and the Council are in power. In my opinion, these people have over stayed their usefulness in their current roles.

Very sad indeed for the premiere technological institution of our nation to be in such a shamble. To me, this is just a sign of what lies beneath what we hear. Analogically, imagine a household with a steady source of income having their power or water turned off due to non-payment of bills. What would the rest of the people living in the neighborhood think of those in this household? They are not poor for sure as there is steady income flow, so having pity for this family is out of the question. The most likely conclusion is mismanagement of their income on luxuries/non-essentials/entertainment/ what so ever you can name under the sun. Basically no proper budgeting system to sustain the livelihood of this household.

We have the same scenario on a larger scale occurring at Unitech. The house is not in order. No matter what excuses you can conjure, the bottom line is that, the house is not in order. How is the father of the house going to cope with such a shameful mishap? What corrective measures will he put in place to make sure, it does not occur again? Who is going to be blamed this time? Obviously someone is running the place, someone's head has to be on the chopping block for such a shamefully basic management failure.

Those in government or statutory authorities of power should start recognizing the state of affairs of Unitech now, before all hell breaks loose one day. School fees are not cheap, and students deserve quality education for their hard-ended cash. This institution better shape up and give the students what they deserve else close the whole place down. Hand it over to Lutheran University at least they might do a better job than what is currently being done. Probably convert it into a Monastery or a Theological College.

All up, its beyond crisis point for Unitech. The administration and council need to shape up or ship out. There are alot of papua new guineans who are now more than qualified academically, and managerially to run an academic institution such as Unitech. 15 years ago, yeah it would have being a bit difficult, it isn't so the case today.

Thank you Papua New Guinea for allowing my 1 toea comment to be heard.

Dear Guest,

Thank you for you assessment. It is quite simple indeed that mismanagement and corruption is rife at unitech. Such vital but simple obligation, as in paying bills, must be carried out diligently.

Numerous management decision have smelt of raw swerage, however, a gas mask has been offered free of charge to all academics at unitech. A brand new VX, failed investment in the US, 2week staff strike and imprisonment of NASA reps are some of the stench coming from the SEM.

You are absolutely correct that there is an in house problem. In such a technological institution, electricity is vital for staff research from using Refrigerators in storing Agricultural samples, chemical addatives, numerous organice samples in Applied science, X-ray facilities at Mining Dept, contineous computer programs operations at the Computer Science Dept. And the list goes on. Paying Bill is not a small irralevent issues.

It's sad but shows the mindframe of Senior Executive Management.

My another 2 toea.

Unitech in big trouble


By PETER KORUGL
THE University of Technology is in big trouble – it owes a few million kina, has lost several lecturers and faces a strike by students protesting against a 20% fee increase.
The governing council held an emergency meeting yesterday after angry students boycotted the administration last Friday and warned of a strike.
The outcome of the meeting was not known.
The president of the Student Representive Council Kevin Tindipu said they would decide on the next course of action soon.
When told of a fee increase next year, the students’ council had proposed a 5% increase but the governing council decided on 20% for all.
The angry students presented a petition to Vice-Chancellor Misty Baloiloi who then called for yesterday’s meeting.
Last Friday also marked a deadline given by the National Catering Services to the university to settle about K3 million in outstanding bills for meals provided for students, sources said.
“I do not know whether the company would continue to provide meals for the students next week (this week) or not,” one senior academic told The National.
The university is also said to owe a substantial amount of money to the PNG Water Board and PNG Power Ltd.
Power supply to its Taraka campus was cut for two weeks and restored only after the university paid some of the K600,000 debt owed to PNG Power a week ago.
It is believed that the Office of Higher Education recently disbursed K2 million to the administration for pressing needs.
The sources said the situation at the university had caused several senior and experienced lecturers to leave.
One department head said he had only five lecturers when there should be nine.
“The other academic departments are in much the same way,” he said. “We will face a staff shortage for the 2008 academic year.”

http://www.thenational.com.pg/100807/nation1.htm

Its about time the management was changed, PNG has become technical redundacy due to it technological engine room thats suppose to be taking and guiding PNG into the technical era.

A total overhaul of unitech is an absolute need!

1. Unitech has become a haven for the mafia under the guise of experienced and long serviced administrators.

Recommendation: The sooner those administrators be given the boot, the better.

2. But the reality is the government is out of order, when it comes to capitalising the institution with bucks. The only thing they get told is budget cuts.

Recommendation: Privatise the University so that the dead wood will just pack and rightfully leave if not sacked.

3. An assessment of schools with very high staff turnover be recommended for scrapping.

Fully agree but have some doubts on what you mean by high staff turn over?

Ples going to the dogs now!..we now looking at a break down in student displine, Its going back 20yrs to the time of regionalism....when I was there, it was different.