By Mercy Odeyemi

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The Congress of University Academics, CONUA, has said its leadership is not in any reconciliation talks with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

The union, in a statement on Tuesday by the National President, Dr Niyi Sunmonu, said a statement credited to the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, FUOYE, Prof. Fasina that CONUA and ASUU were holding talks to reconcile was not true and at the best a personal opinion of the VC.

“The attention of CONUA leadership has been brought to a news report titled “VC says ASUU, CONUA reconciliation ongoing” published and credited to the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti.

“Members of the public should note that CONUA doesn’t have anything to do with this. It’s just the opinion of the Vice Chancellor. The hierarchy of our union is not in anyway involved in this conversation.

“We are focused on nurturing and building CONUA. As you know, CONUA affiliation with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) was just announced. We are marching forward and no going back.”

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, FUOYE, Professor Abayomi Fasina, claimed that ASUU and CONUA would soon come together as a single academic union.

Fasina said elders in the academia are working tirelessly to end the rift that resulted in the formation of CONUA.

According to him, the ASUU/CONUA issue will soon be a thing of the past, and we will have a single union again very soon.

“I know ASUU has also learnt from this. You do not have to be too rigid. Our approach must be diplomatic and flexible. We must listen to other people’s opinions; you do not have to be confrontational.

“As a family, we do not need to destroy each other. You must be united such that nobody can split you into two. In a matter of time, this ASUU/CONUA will be laid to rest, and it will come back to one.