“We’ll resist in totality this unlawful act,” ASUU raises alarm over Wike’s alleged move to encroach UniAbuja land

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) has threatened industrial action if Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, does not rescind his alleged decision to encroach on the institution’s land.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Sylvanus Ugoh, chairman of the union, said the branch would take legal steps to resist the takeover of university land for allocation to private individuals and companies.

Ugoh said the union would not allow the university’s land to be taken for private use, describing the alleged action as contrary to the public interest.

He said land acquired for public purposes should not be appropriated for private interests.

“You can revoke individual land for public interest, but you cannot revoke land of public interest for individual use. It should be the other way round,” he said.

Ugoh said universities are public institutions that contribute to national development and should be protected from activities that could undermine their operations.

He questioned the rationale for taking university land for purposes such as shopping malls and filling stations, noting it is counterproductive.

The ASUU chairman said Wike should reverse his decision, adding that the university was established in 1988 and successive FCT ministers had not taken similar action.

“We will follow it in every way within the ambit of the law to resist in totality this unlawful act,” Ugoh said.

He warned that the dispute could affect industrial harmony at the university, adding that the authorities should respect existing court orders relating to the matter.

“But we cannot guarantee industrial harmony within this campus,” he added.

“Somebody wouldn’t expect that an agent of government would have a disregard for the rule of law. I think that court order would have been respected,” the ASUU chairman explained.