The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said the FCTA will not reverse its decision to reallocate portions of the University of Abuja’s land despite a strike threat by the institution’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
Wike dismissed the union’s opposition to the decision, arguing that ASUU had no authority over land administration in the FCT.
The minister spoke during his monthly media chat on Thursday, where he questioned the union’s involvement in the dispute and rejected its claims of land grabbing.
“What is the business of ASUU on our land? How is ASUU the owner of land? Is ASUU the owner of the union in Nigeria now? Is it the union’s right?” he asked.
He also faulted the university for retaining thousands of hectares of land without what he considered adequate development, arguing that the government had a responsibility to ensure proper land use and compliance with the FCT master plan.
Wike maintained that the reallocation was part of the administration’s efforts to enforce urban planning regulations and promote development in the territory.
He further dismissed the union’s threat to challenge the decision in court, saying the FCTA was prepared to defend its actions if legal proceedings were instituted.
The minister also criticised the use of strike threats to pressure the government, insisting that his administration would not succumb to what he described as blackmail.
The dispute followed a warning by the Chairman of ASUU, University of Abuja chapter, Dr Sylvanus Ugoh, that the union could no longer guarantee industrial harmony on the campus if the minister failed to reverse the land allocations.
Ugoh said the university was originally allocated 11,824 hectares of land in the Guri District of the FCT, describing the area as vital to its long-term expansion, agricultural research and infrastructure development.
The union had raised concerns over the allocation of portions of the land to private developers and government agencies, insisting that the university’s property must be protected against encroachment.
However, Wike maintained that land administration in the FCT remained the responsibility of the FCTA, which would continue to make decisions on land recovery and allocation in line with its statutory responsibilities.
