– UG administration’s indolence, indulgence to be blamed for reckless actions on campus
…according to Dr. Luncheon
GOVERNMENT has expressed dismay at the spectacle created at the University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, noting that the descent into recklessness by elements at the University is astonishing. Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) Dr. Roger Luncheon yesterday described what he termed the “spectacle on the University of Guyana campus” as unbelievable.
“The descent into recklessness by the very elements at the University of Guyana …it is astonishing,” he said.
Dr. Luncheon, at his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing at the Office of the President, in referring to the ongoing actions at the University, attributed this to indolence and indulgence on the part of the institution’s administration.
He noted that members of the UG Council had refrained from speaking about the Freddie Kissoon issue in adherence to the principle of confidentiality governing Appointment Committee meetings since they believed that the UG administration would have acted.
This failure to act in the face of misinformation and lies, the HPS stated, has led to the view that the UG administration is lacking in resolve to address the behaviour of the ‘extremists’ and in light of this, the Government believes that a more appropriate and forceful reaction by the University administration was, and remains, clearly needed and anticipated.
The University’s administration’s indolence has emboldened certain elements to seize the opportunity to promote actions on the campus.
At a previous press briefing, Dr. Luncheon had stated that the lack of aggression by the UG administration in dealing with the issue has allowed the matter to be “hijacked by partisan interests” and blown into a veritable protest action.
Kissoon who passed the age of retirement had his contract terminated in January after failing to meet the university policy with regards to retention of academic staff which is based on
having a healthy academic record with research and publications reviewed by academic peers and face a competitive process with other applicants.
The 14-member UG Council did not support his retention hence the termination of his contract.