Secretary for the Department of Higher Education Fr Jan Czuba and the Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology Wesley Raminai have filed applications to join a case between current University of Goroka (OUG) Vice Chancellor Professor Musawe Sinebare and Dr Teng Waninga; who was recently appointed by Raminai as UOG’s acting vice chancellor.
Their applications were filed separately in the Waigani National Court before Justice Nicholas Miviri, seeking to assist the court, to clarify proper processes that concern the appointments of the UOG vice chancellor.
Fr Jan, through his lawyer submitted in court that he join the case on grounds that he is head of the department, and should have been consulted when the appointment of Dr Waninga was made by Raminai through a gazettal notice published last month.
The proper process was for the minister to ask the department to draft a report on Prof Sinebare, if there had been any substantive allegations against him, but the request for the report never reached my client.
– Fr Czuba’s lawyer told the court.
His lawyer further submitted that the allegations raised by Raminai only mention “bad management” but literally did not plead any facts to the allegations he raised.
He also told the court that he was standing, and that he join the case on grounds that there his application had no undue delays as it was filed straight after the appointment of Dr Waninga as acting vice chancellor; that he is challenging a state minister who is responsible for the management of a governing body; that all administrative avenues were exhausted to permanently reinstate Sinebare; that Raminai’s actions were ultra vires, according to the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology Act.
The appointment of Waninga was an abuse of process, as the head of department was not consulted before making this appointment, thus there was a breach of natural justice for not serving a notice for Prof Sinebare’s revocation of his appointment, because the minister lacks unlimited jurisdiction to make the decision on his own.
– Lawyer represent Secretary Czuba
Meanwhile, the minister’s application to join was also considered by the court.