In a statement made during a monthly media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike dismissed a strike threat from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) – specifically the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) chapter – over the reallocation of the university’s land holdings.
ASUU has warned it will take industrial action if the FCT Administration (FCTA) does not reverse the transfer of portions of the 11,824 hectares originally allocated to UniAbuja. The union argues that the land is essential for the university’s long‑term expansion, agricultural research and infrastructure development.
“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, insisting that land administration falls solely under the statutory responsibilities of the FCTA and not a trade union.
Wike said the government would not abandon its development plans because of threats of industrial action. He added that the FCTA would defend its decisions in court if necessary and that federal institutions could not arbitrarily claim thousands of hectares of land without proper documentation, approval and development.
ASUU’s UniAbuja chapter chairman, Dr Sylvanus Ugoh, warned that the union could no longer guarantee industrial harmony on campus if the land allocations in the Giri District were not reversed. The union has expressed concern over the reallocation of land to private developers and government agencies.
The dispute highlights the tension between the union’s claim to the university’s land and the FCTA’s authority to regulate land use in the capital. Wike reiterated that all allocations within the nation’s capital remain subject to the regulatory authority of the FCT Administration, and that the ministry will proceed with its land administration decisions regardless of the union’s threat of strike or litigation.
<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>