Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has rejected a strike threat by the University of Abuja chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, stating that the union lacks the authority to interfere in land administration.
Wike, who was reacting to the union’s protests against the FCT Administration’s reallocation of parts of the university’s land to private developers and government agencies, questioned ASUU’s locus standi on statutory land allocation matters.
Speaking during his monthly media chat in Port Harcourt, the minister insisted that trade unions have no mandate or authority over land administration in the nation’s capital.
Recall that ASUU UniAbuja Chairman, Dr. Sylvanus Ugoh, had at a recent press conference 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, Wike at the briefing rejected the union’s claims of land grabbing, arguing that land
that land ownership and master plan enforcement are the exclusive statutory responsibilities of the FCTA.
Wike asked, “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?”
The Minister also 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.
He stressed that the FCTA will not yield to blackmail, and 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.
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.
