The Osun State Government has rejected opposition by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to the extension of the tenure of the Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Professor Clement Odunayo Adebooye, insisting that the university is governed by law and not the preferences of any staff union.
The government, in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, said the decision on the Vice-Chancellor’s tenure was not arbitrary and was subjected to the appropriate governmental and legislative processes.
The statement followed reports that ASUU had resolved to deploy a team to Osogbo over the extension of Adebooye’s tenure.
According to the government, ASUU has the right to express its views on issues affecting the welfare and administration of the university but lacks the statutory authority to determine or override the responsibilities vested in the Visitor, Governing Council or Osun State House of Assembly.
‘ASUU, as a trade union, representing academic staff, has an important role to play in promoting the welfare and professional interests of its members.
‘However, that role does not confer upon the Union the authority to determine, direct or substitute its judgment for the statutory responsibilities vested by law in the Visitor, the Governing Council or the Osun State House of Assembly,’ the statement said.
The government also clarified that Adebooye’s current tenure remains valid until January 2027, arguing that the extension does not amount to a retroactive alteration of his tenure.
It said Governor Ademola Adeleke, in his capacity as Visitor to UNIOSUN, acted within the framework of his statutory responsibilities, while the State House of Assembly subsequently commenced and completed the legislative process required to provide a statutory basis for the tenure extension.
‘Following the Visitor’s decision, the State Legislature commenced the process of amending the Osun State University Establishment Law to provide the necessary statutory framework for the tenure extension.
‘The amendment was subsequently considered and passed by the House of Assembly after legislative consideration of the relevant provisions,’ the government said.
It therefore dismissed suggestions that Adeleke acted alone or disregarded the university’s governing framework.
‘The Visitor cannot be said to have acted outside the law where the competent legislative authority has exercised its constitutional legislative function to amend the enabling law,’ it added.
The government further distinguished between interpreting an existing law and the Legislature’s authority to amend it, stressing that a provision contained in the earlier version of the UNIOSUN Establishment Law could be reviewed through the appropriate legislative procedure.
It said the consideration and passage of the amendment by the House of Assembly demonstrated that the matter had been subjected to legislative scrutiny.
The government consequently cautioned against what it described as attempts to create ‘an unnecessary atmosphere of crisis, illegality or institutional instability’ around the matter.
It maintained that no staff union, including ASUU, had the statutory authority to instruct the Visitor or Governing Council on how to exercise powers legally vested in them.
‘The University is governed by its enabling law, and not by the unilateral interpretation of any union or pressure group,’ the statement said.
The government also stressed that the Governing Council remains the appropriate statutory organ for matters within its jurisdiction, while the Visitor exercises powers assigned to the office under the university’s enabling framework.
It described staff unions as important stakeholders in the university but said they could not substitute themselves for the institution’s legally constituted governing organs.
Against the backdrop of the controversy, the government urged members of the university community to avoid actions, statements or mobilisations capable of creating tension within the institution.
It said UNIOSUN should remain focused on its core mandates of teaching, research, innovation and community service, particularly as the institution prepares for its forthcoming 16th Convocation Ceremonies.
The government also said it remained open to constructive engagement with recognised unions and other stakeholders, provided such engagement was conducted within the boundaries of the law and the established governance structure of the university.
‘For the avoidance of doubt, the Osun State Government remains committed to the rule of law, due process, institutional stability and the authority of the legally constituted organs responsible for the governance of Osun State University,’ the statement said.
Adeleke’s administration therefore urged all stakeholders to allow the relevant statutory institutions to discharge their responsibilities without what it described as unnecessary pressure, misrepresentation or attempts to portray the university as being in crisis.