The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the strike threat issued by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja (UniAbuja) chapter, over the administration’s reallocation of portions of the institution’s land to private developers and government agencies.
Reacting on Thursday during a his monthly media chat in Port Harcourt city, following threats by the academic union to embark on industrial action, Wike questioned ASUU’s locus standi on statutory land allocation matters, asserting that trade unions have no mandate or authority over land administration in the nation’s capital.
Wike rejected the union’s claims of land grabbing, arguing that land ownership and master plan enforcement fall strictly under 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 questioned.
Addressing the dispute over the university’s expanse of land—which reportedly spans over 11,000 hectares, the Minister questioned the practicality of a single university holding onto vast tracts of undeveloped land while blocking capital development.
He emphasized that the FCTA’s actions represent a lawful continuum of government policy and urban planning.
Referencing ASUU’s declaration that it would go on strike and challenge the FCTA’s decision in court, Wike stated that the administration remains unfazed by threats of legal action or industrial paralysis.
Wike maintained that if the union chooses to seek judicial redress, the FCTA is fully prepared to defend its constitutional rights and statutory duties.
The Minister chided the union leadership for using strike threats as leverage, urging them to respect public service procedures and refrain from blackmailing the administration.
Wike reaffirmed that government decisions regarding unused land recovery would proceed, noting that federal institutions cannot arbitrarily fence off thousands of hectares without proper documentation, approvals, and utilization.
Background to the Conflict
The confrontation follows a recent press conference by ASUU UniAbuja Chairman, Dr. Sylvanus Ugoh, who warned that the union could no longer guarantee industrial harmony on campus if the FCT Minister failed to reverse allocations made out of the institution’s designated land parcel in the Giri District.
ASUU argued that the 11,824 hectares originally allocated were vital for the long-term expansion, agricultural research, and infrastructure needs of the federal institution.
However, Minister Wike reiterated that the FCTA will not yield to blackmail, maintaining that all land allocations within the FCT remain under the regulatory oversight of his office.