And this afternoon Minister of Education Patrick Faber responded to last week’s statement by the University of Belize’s Faculty and Staff Association’s press release. In the release, the Association President Dr. Isabel Tun asked for information about the allegations against University President Santos Mahung. In response, Faber says the faculty and staff should know what the board decided because they have a representative on the board.

Hon. Patrick Faber,
“The staff does have a representative on the board and that is the manner in which they participated in such decision making process. But separate from that the matter of somebody’s contract and a contract is a private matter, if there are breaches in the contract it should be discussed with those parties involved and it is not legally proper I am advised that somebody’s terms of his contract or breaching of the agreement in those contracts is disclosed to the general public.

Dr. Tun made a specific throw at politicians interfering in the operations at the University of Belize. She termed it the politicizing of the University. I wish to make it clear, you viewers recall, that when the turmoil started at UB some months ago they did not hear from this Minister of Education and that is by design. The board of UB is appointed by the Minister, that is correct but the Minister makes those appointments based on recommendations from the various representative bodies, the various stakeholders, and it is based on those recommendations that I should make or the Minister should make the appointments to the board.”

The faculty and staff’s representative on the board is Leonardo Pott.