What Is ASUU’s Business With Land Ownership? Wike Dismisses Strike Threat

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has rejected the threat by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja (UniAbuja) chapter, to embark on a strike over the reallocation of portions of the institution’s land to private developers and government agencies.

Wike described the union’s intervention in the land dispute as unwarranted, insisting that ASUU has no authority over land administration in the FCT.

The minister spoke on Thursday during his monthly media chat in Port Harcourt, where he dismissed allegations of land grabbing by the FCT Administration (FCTA), maintaining that the responsibility for land allocation and enforcement of the Abuja Master Plan rests with the government.

Questioning the union’s involvement in the matter, Wike said, “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 also questioned the justification for a single university retaining thousands of hectares of land, particularly where portions remain undeveloped and could be put to other uses for the development of the capital city.

According to him, the FCTA’s decision to reallocate portions of the university’s land is consistent with its statutory responsibilities and broader urban development policies.

Reacting to ASUU’s threat to challenge the allocations in court and withdraw its services, Wike said the administration was not intimidated by either industrial action or legal proceedings.

He maintained that the FCTA was prepared to defend its actions in court, insisting that the government would continue to exercise its statutory powers over land administration in the nation’s capital.

The minister also accused the union’s leadership of attempting to pressure the government through threats of industrial action, urging it to refrain from what he described as blackmail.

Wike further argued that federal institutions could not claim unrestricted ownership of extensive portions of land without demonstrating proper documentation, approvals and actual utilisation.

He insisted that the FCTA would proceed with its land recovery and reallocation policy, despite the union’s opposition.

The disagreement followed a warning by the ASUU UniAbuja chapter that it could no longer guarantee industrial harmony at the institution if the FCT minister failed to reverse the disputed land allocations.

At a press conference, the union’s chairman, Dr Sylvanus Ugoh, accused the FCTA of reallocating portions of the university’s designated land in the Giri District to private developers and government agencies.

ASUU maintained that the 11,824 hectares originally allocated to the university were essential for its long-term expansion, agricultural research, infrastructural development and other academic activities.

The union subsequently threatened industrial action and indicated its readiness to pursue legal options to challenge the FCTA’s decision.

However, Wike has maintained that land administration within the FCT falls under the regulatory authority of the FCTA and that the government would not reverse its decisions under pressure from the union.