Wike rejects ASUU UniAbuja strike threat over land reallocation
- FCT Minister Nyesom Wike says ASUU has no say in how land in Abuja is allocated.
- The University of Abuja union had warned of a strike over portions of its Giri land given to developers.
- Wike says the FCTA will defend its decisions in court and will not reverse them under pressure.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has pushed back against a strike threat from the University of Abuja branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), saying the union has no standing in how land in Abuja is shared out.
Wike spoke on Thursday at his monthly media chat, held in Port Harcourt, according to Leadership. He was responding to the union's warning that it could no longer promise calm on campus unless the FCT Administration (FCTA) reversed its decision to hand parts of the university's land in the Giri District to private developers and government agencies.
The minister questioned why a staff union would weigh in on land matters at all. "What is the business of ASUU on our land? How is ASUU the owner of land?" he asked, adding that trade unions have no statutory role in land ownership or allocation in the capital.
What the two sides are saying
ASUU's University of Abuja chairman, Dr Sylvanus Ugoh, raised the alarm at a press conference. The union says the university was originally given 11,824 hectares and needs the land for future expansion, agricultural research and infrastructure. It accused the FCTA of reallocating parts of that parcel, a claim the minister rejects as land grabbing.
Wike argued that the FCTA is simply doing its job: enforcing the Abuja master plan and recovering land that is not being used. He said federal institutions cannot fence off thousands of hectares without showing proper documents, approvals and actual use. According to him, the reallocation follows existing government policy and urban planning rules.
The minister also said the administration is not moved by the union's plan to go to court. He said the FCTA is ready to defend its actions and will not change course because of a strike threat, which he described as a form of pressure on government.
For students and staff at the university, the standoff matters. A strike would disrupt lectures and exams, and delay graduations. Staff who depend on campus work would also feel the pinch if academic activities stop.
For residents of the capital, the bigger question is how Abuja's land is used as the city expands. The FCTA says it wants undeveloped parcels put to work; the university says it needs room to grow.
What happens next depends on whether ASUU carries out its threat to sue and to down tools. Wike has said the FCTA will meet the union in court, and that its land recovery and reallocation will continue in the meantime.
