Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has dismissed a strike threat by the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over the reallocation of portions of the institution’s land to private developers and government agencies.
Speaking on Thursday during his monthly media chat in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, Wike questioned ASUU’s locus standi in matters of statutory land allocation, insisting that trade unions had no authority over land administration in the FCT.
He rejected the union’s claims of land grabbing, arguing that land allocation and enforcement of the FCT master plan fell within the jurisdiction of the FCT Administration (FCTA).
“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 asked.
Addressing the dispute over the university’s land, reportedly covering more than 11,000 hectares, the minister questioned why a single institution should retain such a vast expanse of undeveloped land while preventing other development projects.
He described the FCTA’s actions as part of the government’s land administration and urban planning responsibilities.
Responding to ASUU’s threat to embark on a strike and challenge the FCTA’s decision in court, Wike said the administration was not deterred by either threat.
He maintained that the FCTA was prepared to defend its statutory responsibilities if the union sought judicial redress.
The minister also accused the union’s leadership of using strike threats as leverage, urging it to follow established procedures and refrain from blackmailing the administration.
Wike said the government would proceed with its plans to recover unused land, adding that federal institutions could not arbitrarily fence off thousands of hectares without proper documentation, approvals and evidence of utilisation.
BACKGROUND
The dispute follows a recent press conference by Sylvanus Ugoh, ASUU UniAbuja chairman, who warned that the union could no longer guarantee industrial harmony on campus if the FCT minister failed to reverse allocations made from the institution’s designated land in the Giri district.
ASUU said the 11,824 hectares originally allocated to the university were essential for its long-term expansion, agricultural research and infrastructure needs.
Wike, however, maintained that the FCTA would not yield to what he described as blackmail, insisting that land allocations within the FCT remained under the regulatory oversight of his office.
