DR. FRANCIS HUALUPMOMI is now the acting secretary for the Department of Higher Education Research Science and Technology (DHEREST) for three months following the NEC decision on the suspension of Fr. Jan Czuba as the Secretary for DHERST.
The announcement was made yesterday by the Minister responsible Wesley Raminai following the National Executive Council (NEC) decision gazette notice as of May 18, 2021 which called for the suspension and appointment of acting secretary for DHERST.
The Minister while announcing the suspension of Fr. Czuba said that he has breached his employment contract and that there have been criminal allegations labeled against him and that is the reason why he has been suspended by NEC.
“Fr. Czuba is also under criminal investigations by the courts and he should be able to clear himself during this suspension period if there needs to be.
“During his term of suspension, we will make sure we do some financial investigation audit as well as an IT audit and Infrastructure audit as a fair way to clear his name,” Minister Raminai said.
The newly appointed Acting Secretary for DHERST Dr. Francis Hualupmomi is a political scientist and career officer within the Department of Higher Education Research Science and Technology with 14 years of experience.
He has held leadership and Management Roles from the former office of Higher Education (OHE) and now DHERST. Dr. Hualupmomi is currently the Deputy Secretary for Policy & Quality Assurance Wing until his appointment as the Acting Secretary for DHERST.
Meanwhile, there will be an Investigation conducted by the Auditor General’s Office into DHERST to ascertain operational and financial issues of the Department.
The terms of reference (TOR) will cover investigation into:
- Tertiary Education Student Assistance Scheme (TESAS)
- National Online Application Selection System (NOAS)
- Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
- PCG Academia (foreign IT services contractor
- Airline ticketing (Global Travel Center)
Minister Raminai also clarified that Fr. Czuba’s suspension is for an indefinite period, given the time he would be able to clear his name from the Courts and all other allegations made against him.
The Minister thanked Fr. Czuba for his term and the contributions he has made towards the Department.