BY AHMED AKANBI
The battle over 11,824 hectares allocated to the University of Abuja has deepened, with Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister,vNyesom Wike, daring the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to proceed with its threatened strike over reallocation of portions of the land.
Wike, speaking on Thursday during his monthly media chat in Port Harcourt, dismissed the union’s threat and insisted the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) alone has authority over land administration and enforcement of the Abuja master plan.
He questioned ASUU’s locus to challenge land decisions, arguing the union does not own the university’s land and has no mandate over land administration in the FCT.
“What is the business of ASUU on our land? How is ASUU the owner of UniAbuja land? Is ASUU the owner of the union in Nigeria now? Is it the union’s right?” Wike asked.
The minister rejected claims of land grabbing, saying the FCTA was only regulating land use and enforcing urban development plans.
He queried why a university should hold thousands of hectares idle, arguing undeveloped holdings constrain other development in the capital.
Wike said the FCTA would not reverse its decisions because of strike threats and was ready to meet ASUU in court if it sues.
He accused the union leadership of using strike threats to blackmail government and urged it to follow established procedures.
The minister added that no government institution can retain extensive land without documentation, approvals and evidence of utilisation.
The row followed a press conference by Sylvanus Ugoh, chairman of ASUU’s UniAbuja chapter, who warned industrial harmony could no longer be guaranteed if Wike failed to reverse the reallocation of portions of the university’s land in Giri District.
ASUU insists the 11,824 hectares are needed for expansion, agricultural research and infrastructure, and opposes their reallocation to private developers and government agencies.
The union has threatened industrial and legal actions, while Wike maintains land allocation in the FCT remains the exclusive preserve of the FCTA.