The National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) has raised issues concerning the appointment of its council’s committee, alleging corrupt and poor practices involved in the appointment of professionals and its managing director.
According to a letter directed to Prime Minister James Marape’s office. dated March 30, obtained by the Post Courier, the institute, through the council chairman Professor Chalapan Kaluwin, advised the Prime Minister of poor practices and procedures in the institute’s appointment of its council members and directors by Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) Wesley Raminai, stating that it was done with no transparent consultations and advise from his office and the National Executive Council’s approval process, “which was indeed poor”.
The letter to the Prime Minister set out unprofessional communications and actions by Mr Raminai when he published a gazettal notice on March 23, 2021 that informed all NARI executives that requested acting director Dr Ramakrishna to resign and give way to his interim governing council and acting director, Warea Orapa, to manage the Lae based institute.
Mr Kaluwin said following discussions with DHERST Secretary Fr Jan Czuba on February 5, a recommendation was made for the appointment of a NARI council board.
He said this was in consultation with the Department of Justice and Attorney General and the NARI secretariat.
We note that the minister is not acting in good faith and unprofessional in attempting to appoint his colleagues and friends to the NARI council and, at the same time, securing positions for them.
Professor Chalapan Kaluwin – NARI Council Chairman
Meanwhile, Fr Czuba in an interview with the Post Courier said:
The recommendations we made in February was with consideration that the director general of NARI, who is the CEO, is a position identified as officer 32, so minimum qualifications for the position has to be a master’s degree.
But the minister, at this time placed someone with a bachelor’s degree, to occupy the same position.
Attempts to get comments from the minister were unsuccessful.