Wike Dismisses ASUU’s Authority to Challenge UniAbuja Land Allocation
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the authority of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja chapter, to challenge the reallocation of portions of the institution’s land to private developers and government agencies.
Wike said land administration and allocation in the FCT fall within the statutory responsibilities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), insisting that the union had no legal mandate to determine land ownership or allocation.
The minister made the remarks on Thursday during his monthly media interaction, where he also rejected allegations of land grabbing levelled against the FCTA over the disputed university land.
“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?” Wike queried.
The minister questioned why the University of Abuja should retain thousands of hectares of land, particularly areas he said remained undeveloped, despite the FCT’s growing demand for land for infrastructure and urban expansion.
He maintained that the administration’s decision to recover and reallocate portions of the university’s land was consistent with its urban planning responsibilities and the Abuja master plan.
Wike also dismissed the union’s threat to embark on industrial action and pursue legal proceedings over the disputed allocations, saying the FCTA was prepared to defend its decisions in court.
He criticised ASUU’s resort to strike threats, insisting that the government would not be pressured into reversing its policies.
Background to the Dispute
The disagreement followed a warning by the ASUU-UniAbuja chairman, Prof. Sylvanus Ugoh, who said the union could no longer guarantee industrial harmony on campus unless the minister reversed the disputed land allocations.
ASUU maintains that the university was originally allocated 11,824 hectares of land in the Giri District of the FCT for its long-term expansion, academic infrastructure, agricultural research and other institutional activities.
The union also accused Wike of violating a court order allegedly restraining him from encroaching on the university’s land.
However, the FCT minister insisted that land administration in the nation’s capital remains under the authority of the FCTA and that the government would continue to enforce land-use regulations.
The dispute has raised concerns over the potential impact of the disagreement on industrial relations and academic activities at the university.
