The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja department, has threatened a showdown with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over the allocation of parts of the college’s land to non-public corporations and people.
The union warned that it could not assure industrial concord if the minister did not reverse the allocations, insisting that it could resist any additional try and take over the establishment’s land inside the ambits of the regulation.
The department chairman of the ASUU, Dr Sylvanus Ugoh, who spoke with the press in Abuja on Tuesday, blamed Wike for disregarding the rule of regulation by allocating the disputed land regardless of an interlocutory injunction issued by the Maitama High Court on 18 August 2026, restraining him from coming into or encroaching on the college’s land.
“ASUU UniAbuja will no longer guarantee industrial harmony if the FCT Minister fails to reverse the unlawful taking away of University of Abuja land and allocating it to his friends and cronies,” the union stated.
LEADERSHIP recalled that the controversy over the establishment’s land dates again to 30 June 2025, when Wike introduced plans to retrieve 7,000 hectares out of the roughly 11,000 hectares allotted to the college.
The minister made the announcement whereas commissioning the newly constructed entry street to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Academy inside the college’s premises within the Giri District of Abuja.
According to ASUU, Wike had accused the college of land grabbing and fencing a number of hectares with out correct approval or documentation.
However, the union maintained that it had overwhelming documentary proof establishing that the disputed parcel of land was duly allotted to the establishment by the federal authorities.
“At inception, 11,824 hectares with its coordinates was allotted to the University. The University Authority wouldn’t have by itself positioned itself to the place the University is presently sitting on.
“Let it be clearly understood that the University of Abuja is a federal government institution held in trust for the Nigerian people and it is not a property of the FCT,” it stated.
The union argued that the dimensions of the land was deliberate and strategic, offering room for future enlargement of educational services, analysis centres, innovation hubs and different infrastructure wanted to assist instructing, studying and group service.
It additional defined that components of the college’s land consisted of hills and mountainous terrain, whereas some areas had been preserved as inexperienced areas to take care of ecological steadiness and shield biodiversity.
According to the union, the land was additionally wanted for future analysis institutes, centres and different progressive services that will contribute to nationwide improvement.
ASUU stated preserving inexperienced areas inside the college was according to international environmental greatest practices and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 on sustainable improvement.
It acknowledged Wike’s efforts to develop the FCT however maintained that the accountability for creating the federal government-owned college rested with the federal authorities.
The union consequently known as on President Bola Tinubu to intervene within the dispute and prevail on Wike to reverse the allocations to stop a breakdown of business concord on the campus.
ASUU stated, “The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja branch, therefore demands that the Honourable Minister of the FCT put a stop to the unlawful allocation of the University of Abuja land and reverse every allocation made on University of Abuja land.”
It added that the President ought to name the minister to order to make sure that peace and concord prevailed on the college campus.
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