The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has issued a strong rejoinder to a recent tribute by the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Christopher Piwuna, over what it described as “inaccuracies” concerning the late Prof. Biodun Jeyifo’s role in efforts to resolve the 2016–2017 crisis at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).
In a statement signed by its National President, Comrade ‘Niyi Sunmonu, CONUA said while any tribute honouring the late scholar was welcome, the ASUU President’s article, titled “Biodun Jeyifo: The Legend Lives On” and published in Premium Times on Sunday, 1 March 2026, required clarification on key historical details.
Disputed Account of OAU Crisis
The disagreement centres on Prof. Jeyifo’s intervention during the internal crisis that engulfed ASUU’s OAU branch between 2016 and 2017 — a dispute that ultimately led to the emergence and registration of CONUA as a separate academic union.
According to CONUA, Prof. Jeyifo’s involvement in reconciliation efforts went far beyond expressing regret during his 2018 convocation lecture at OAU, where he described the branch as being in a “profound and crippling crisis” despite being ASUU’s birthplace.
The union stated that between late 2018 and 2019, Prof. Jeyifo relocated temporarily to Ile-Ife and engaged multiple stakeholders in a series of meetings, including three separate sessions with the group within ASUU that later formed CONUA.
CONUA claimed that during those engagements, Prof. Jeyifo concluded that ASUU’s national leadership bore greater responsibility for the breakdown of reconciliation efforts. He reportedly expressed concern that some information earlier presented to him did not reflect the full realities of the situation and advocated what he described as “fair assimilation without punishment” as the most viable path to restoring unity.
According to the statement, these recommendations were presented to ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC) on 2 March 2019. Prof. Jeyifo reportedly characterised the OAU dispute as the most critical crisis in the union’s history because it had reached the stage of a breakaway seeking formal registration.
Expulsion and Formation of CONUA
CONUA further clarified that the idea of forming a new union did not precede the expulsion of certain members from ASUU but followed it. The group said Prof. Jeyifo explicitly asked what minimum conditions would facilitate a return to ASUU, to which they responded that withdrawal of expulsion letters was essential. That proposal, the statement said, was presented to ASUU leadership but was not acted upon.
The union rejected suggestions that reconciliation failed because leaders of the breakaway group refused to heed Prof. Jeyifo’s counsel. Instead, it maintained that the late scholar placed “the heavier burden of responsibility” on ASUU’s national leadership for its handling of the process.
CONUA was subsequently registered under the Trade Unions Act, and its status was upheld by the National Industrial Court in July 2023.
Legacy and Intellectual Courage
Beyond the dispute, CONUA paid glowing tribute to Prof. Jeyifo, describing him as more than a scholar and union pioneer but a “moral compass” who consistently took principled positions.
It recalled a notable intellectual exchange decades earlier at Oduduwa Hall at the then University of Ife (now OAU), where Prof. Jeyifo famously challenged colleagues with the declaration: “Rightocracy or Leftocracy: take position!” — a phrase the union said encapsulated his refusal to tolerate ambiguity in the face of injustice or power imbalances.
CONUA described his withdrawal from mediation efforts, after allegedly discovering that trust had been undermined, as “an act of integrity” rather than a failure.
Commitment to Pluralism
The union emphasised that pluralism in Nigeria’s academic union space is now a reality and expressed commitment to “healthy competition and mutual cooperation” with other unions on shared concerns such as funding, pension reform, academic freedom, and institutional integrity.
“We did not reject reconciliation for the sake of division,” the statement read. “We sought equity, fairness, and accountability in academic unionism.”
As Prof. Jeyifo is set to be buried this week, CONUA said it issued the clarification to ensure that his legacy is preserved “with truth” and not reduced to what it called a one-sided narrative.
The union also extended condolences to the late scholar’s family, friends, and colleagues, reaffirming its commitment to dialogue and responsible engagement within Nigeria’s university system.
