Polye tells Prime Minister O'Neill to plan high Education for PNG, not his electorate

PORT MORESBY: The issue on the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, funding the establishment of a new university at his Ialibu-Pangia electorate in Southern Highlands province, has surfaced again for public discourse.

Opposition Leader Don Pomb Polye said he had been prompted to join the chorus again in light of non-funding of K40 million sponsorship package for 7400 TESAS students this year and existing universities calling for more funds to develop and maintain their ‘deteriorating infrastructures.’

Mr Polye has described Mr O’Neill’s act as ‘selfish, for greater glory and re-election in his electorate, and not for national greatness.’

“The Prime Minister has neglected our national universities which are in dire straits for development and even maintenance.

“They still have vacant land to expand like the University of PNG at Waigani,” he said.

He said the universities also needed to accredit their programs in par with other tertiary institutions overseas in order to produce graduates, who can be marketable both domestically and overseas.

“Our alternative government has a systematic policy for the higher education not only to upgrade the existing universities but for accreditation of programs as well,” he said.

Polye said the domestic employment sector does not fully absorb the graduates year in year out, adding accreditations of programs will strike a balance for them.

He added that what the Prime Minister has been doing ‘defeated the purposes of integral human development.’

“When we are in government, we want universities in the country to give our high performing youth a professional future. UPNG and UNITECH and other universities will be a source of national pride.

The graduates, he said, from these universities will be qualified and capable to give better service to our people and the country,” said Polye.

He said a responsible government would allocate funds to the national universities and to the students across the nation.

He further said when the Opposition was in power, they would divert the funds for the set-up of new university to the existing tertiary institutions.