NFP President Pio Tikoduadua says Vice Chancellor Pal Ahluwalia must also be reinstated until the USP Council has met. [File Photo]

The National Federation Party says the University of the South Pacific Pro Chancellor Winston Thompson needs to be stood down.

NFP President Pio Tikoduadua says Vice Chancellor Pal Ahluwalia must also be reinstated until the USP Council has met.

This comes as the USP executive committee decided that allegations against Professor Ahluwalia need to be looked into and was asked to step down pending an investigation.

And despite the Fijian government having said that it is concerned about governance issues at the university in light of a number of anomalies found by the USP Audit Team and wants the issues resolved quickly, Tikoduadua disagrees.

He says Fiji is meddling into the affairs of the university, something which Fijian Education Minister Rosy Akbar has denied.

Tikoduadua says Akbar should also participate in good faith at the Special USP Council meeting that is scheduled within the next five days.

He also is calling for the senior management team at USP suspends all large payments unrelated to the normal running operations of the university until the leadership crisis is resolved.

Tikoduadua further wants that the senior management does not execute underhanded tactics that victimize and intimidate the students or staff — including dubious COVID-19 ploys, especially when they are preparing for exams next week.

The NFP also wants the BDO Report released and tabled in Parliament, which was compiled after Ahluwalia’s allegations.