The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has brushed aside the threat by the University of Abuja chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to embark on an industrial action over the reallocation of parts of the institution’s land to private developers and government agencies.
Wike maintained that ASUU lacked the authority to determine land ownership or allocation in the FCT, stressing that such responsibilities rested with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
The minister made this known during his monthly media chat on Thursday, where he challenged the union’s involvement in the matter and dismissed 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.
Wike further questioned why the university should retain thousands of hectares of land without putting them to adequate use, arguing that the government had a duty to ensure proper land utilisation and compliance with the FCT master plan.
He explained that the decision to reallocate parts of the institution’s land was aimed at enforcing urban planning regulations and facilitating development across the territory.
The minister also downplayed ASUU’s threat to seek legal redress, declaring that the FCTA was ready to defend its decision if the matter proceeded to court.
He criticised the union’s resort to strike threats as a means of compelling the government to reverse its position, insisting that the administration would not give in to what he described as blackmail.
The disagreement followed a recent press conference by the Chairman of ASUU’s University of Abuja chapter, Dr Sylvanus Ugoh, who warned that the union could no longer guarantee industrial peace on the campus unless Wike reversed the land allocations.
Ugoh explained that the university was initially granted 11,824 hectares of land in the Guri District of the FCT, describing the property as vital to its future expansion, agricultural research and infrastructure development.
The union raised concerns over the transfer of portions of the land to private developers and government agencies, arguing that the university’s property must be safeguarded against encroachment.
However, Wike insisted that the authority to administer land in the FCT rested with the FCTA, adding that the government would continue to make decisions on land recovery and allocation in accordance with its statutory responsibilities.