UNIOSUN VC's Tenure Extension: 'You Can't Teach Me How To Exercise My Power'

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has pushed back against the National Executive Council of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, over its criticism of the tenure extension of the Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, Professor Clement Adebooye. The Governor, through the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, said the governance of UNIOSUN is guided by law and not by the preferences of any union. The statement was in reaction to ASUU's decision to deploy a team to Osogbo to fault the extension of the VC's tenure. OSUN DEFENDER reports that ASUU, in a communiqué issued at the end of its NEC meeting held on Saturday in Abuja, faulted the extension of the tenure of the Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, UNIOSUN, describing it as a breach of the Universities Miscellaneous Act and the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement. The communiqué, signed by ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, said the Visitor to the University, Governor Ademola Adeleke, extended the VC's tenure by two years without following due process. ASUU NEC said the action of the Visitor amounted to a 'flagrant violation' of both the law and the agreement signed with the Federal Government. But the state government, in the statement, said ASUU, as a trade union, does not have 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. 'While the Governor respects the right of every recognised staff union of the university to express its views on matters concerning the welfare and administration of the University, it is important to state, for the avoidance of doubt, that the governance of Osun State University is regulated by law. 'No staff union, including ASUU, has the statutory authority to teach the Visitor or the Governing Council how to exercise powers lawfully 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 added. The government explained that the current tenure of the Vice Chancellor subsists until January 2027, and that no retroactive decision had been taken. It added that Governor Adeleke's decision as Visitor was made within his constitutional and statutory responsibilities, and was followed by legislative intervention by the Osun State House of Assembly, which amended the UNIOSUN Establishment Law to provide the necessary statutory framework for the tenure extension. 'It is therefore inaccurate to portray the matter as though the Visitor acted in isolation or that the University's governing framework has been disregarded. 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,' the statement said. The Osun State Government cautioned against attempts to create 'an unnecessary atmosphere of crisis, illegality or institutional instability' around a matter it said had gone through due process. Governor Adeleke urged members of the University community to refrain from actions or statements capable of creating needless tension, noting that the University's focus should be on teaching, research, and preparations for its forthcoming 16th Convocation Ceremonies.