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 reallocation of portions of the institution’s land to private developers and government agencies.
Reacting on Thursday during his monthly media chat in Port Harcourt, following the union’s threat to embark on industrial action, Wike questioned ASUU’s locus standi on statutory land allocation matters, insisting that trade unions have no mandate or authority over land administration in the nation’s capital.
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Wike rejected the union’s claims of land grabbing, arguing that land ownership and enforcement of the master plan 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 land, which reportedly spans more than 11,000 hectares, the minister questioned the practicality of a single university holding vast tracts of undeveloped land while blocking capital development.
He emphasised that the FCTA’s actions represented a continuation of government policy and urban planning.
Referring to ASUU’s declaration that it would embark on a strike and challenge the FCTA’s decision in court, Wike said the administration remained unfazed by threats of legal action or industrial action.
He maintained that if the union chose to seek judicial redress, the FCTA was fully prepared to defend its constitutional rights and statutory duties.
The minister criticised the union’s leadership for using strike threats as leverage, urging it to respect public service procedures and refrain from blackmailing the administration.
Wike reaffirmed that government decisions regarding the recovery of unused land would proceed, noting that federal institutions could not arbitrarily fence off thousands of hectares without proper documentation, approvals and utilisation.
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 from the institution’s designated land in the Giri District.
ASUU argued that the 11,824 hectares originally allocated to the university were vital for its long-term expansion, agricultural research and infrastructure needs.
However, Wike reiterated that the FCTA would not yield to blackmail, maintaining that all land allocations within the FCT remained under the regulatory oversight of his office.
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