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 \u201cinaccuracies\u201d concerning the late Prof. Biodun Jeyifo\u2019s role in efforts to resolve the 2016\u20132017 crisis at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).<\/p>\n
In a statement signed by its National President, Comrade \u2018Niyi Sunmonu, CONUA said while any tribute honouring the late scholar was welcome, the ASUU President\u2019s article, titled \u201cBiodun Jeyifo: The Legend Lives On\u201d and published in Premium Times on Sunday, 1 March 2026, required clarification on key historical details.<\/p>\n
Disputed Account of OAU Crisis<\/strong><\/p>\n The disagreement centres on Prof. Jeyifo\u2019s intervention during the internal crisis that engulfed ASUU\u2019s OAU branch between 2016 and 2017 \u2014 a dispute that ultimately led to the emergence and registration of CONUA as a separate academic union.<\/p>\n According to CONUA, Prof. Jeyifo\u2019s 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 \u201cprofound and crippling crisis\u201d despite being ASUU\u2019s birthplace.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n CONUA claimed that during those engagements, Prof. Jeyifo concluded that ASUU\u2019s 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 \u201cfair assimilation without punishment\u201d as the most viable path to restoring unity.<\/p>\n According to the statement, these recommendations were presented to ASUU\u2019s National Executive Council (NEC) on 2 March 2019. Prof. Jeyifo reportedly characterised the OAU dispute as the most critical crisis in the union\u2019s history because it had reached the stage of a breakaway seeking formal registration.<\/p>\n Expulsion and Formation of CONUA<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The union rejected suggestions that reconciliation failed because leaders of the breakaway group refused to heed Prof. Jeyifo\u2019s counsel. Instead, it maintained that the late scholar placed \u201cthe heavier burden of responsibility\u201d on ASUU\u2019s national leadership for its handling of the process.<\/p>\n CONUA was subsequently registered under the Trade Unions Act, and its status was upheld by the National Industrial Court in July 2023.<\/p>\n Legacy and Intellectual Courage<\/strong><\/p>\n Beyond the dispute, CONUA paid glowing tribute to Prof. Jeyifo, describing him as more than a scholar and union pioneer but a \u201cmoral compass\u201d who consistently took principled positions.<\/p>\n 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: \u201cRightocracy or Leftocracy: take position!\u201d \u2014 a phrase the union said encapsulated his refusal to tolerate ambiguity in the face of injustice or power imbalances.<\/p>\n CONUA described his withdrawal from mediation efforts, after allegedly discovering that trust had been undermined, as \u201can act of integrity\u201d rather than a failure.<\/p>\n Commitment to Pluralism<\/strong><\/p>\n The union emphasised that pluralism in Nigeria\u2019s academic union space is now a reality and expressed commitment to \u201chealthy competition and mutual cooperation\u201d with other unions on shared concerns such as funding, pension reform, academic freedom, and institutional integrity.<\/p>\n \u201cWe did not reject reconciliation for the sake of division,\u201d the statement read. \u201cWe sought equity, fairness, and accountability in academic unionism.\u201d<\/p>\n As Prof. Jeyifo is set to be buried this week, CONUA said it issued the clarification to ensure that his legacy is preserved \u201cwith truth\u201d and not reduced to what it called a one-sided narrative.<\/p>\n The union also extended condolences to the late scholar\u2019s family, friends, and colleagues, reaffirming its commitment to dialogue and responsible engagement within Nigeria\u2019s university system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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 \u201cinaccuracies\u201d concerning the late Prof. Biodun Jeyifo\u2019s role in efforts to resolve the 2016\u20132017 crisis at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). 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