BY DAVID ADUGE-ANI, ABUJA

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike, has frowned at the non-development of about 10,000 hectares of land allocated to the University of Abuja at Giri district.

Wike, who stated this after an inspection of an access road to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Academy in Giri, which is also within the university’s property, said that the continued non-development of the land by the university is unacceptable.

According to him, “This tour has also opened our eyes as to the kind of land that the University of Abuja has acquired. It’s not acceptable.

I don’t know where a university will go and take over 10,000 hectares of land; for what purpose. We’ve been to universities; we have gone round to schools.

Grabbing of land is not the whole thing. What is important is its development.”

The minister questioned the rationale behind acquiring such a vast expanse of land for “futuristic purposes, stating that infrastructure
development is more crucial than merely possessing land.

He argued that acquiring land for future purposes is not a valid justification for such a large expanse of land. He stressed that a university’s quality is determined by its infrastructure, not the size of its land holdings.

“Before you know it, they will begin to lease it out to people. It doesn’t make sense. What makes a university is not the large expanse of land. What makes a university is the infrastructure quality. It’s not about land. You can have 20,000 hectares of land, but if the university does not have any infrastructure, what does it help?”

Wike reiterated the FCT Administration’s policy that land should be developed, and if not, it will be reallocated to those who intend to develop it.

He said, “We must stop this idea of just acquiring land for acquiring sake. That is not the essence of it. If they give you land, you develop it. If you don’t develop it, government will take it back and give it to those who want to develop. That is our position.”

The minister also noted the non-development of land allocated to the Nigeria Police in the same area, hoping that the new road development will encourage those allocated land to begin development.