ASUU UniAbuja calls for reversal of alleged illegal land allocation
ASUU
By Uche Bibilari
Gwagwalada (FCT), Nov. 3, 2026 (NAN) The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja (UniAbuja) department, has demanded the instant reversal of alleged illegal allocation of the college’s land by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
The Chairperson of ASUU, UniAbuja department, Prof. Sylvanus Ugoh, made the demand at a information convention on Tuesday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) experiences that the convention was tagged: “Ministerial Encroachment into University of Abuja Land: Some Points to Ponder.”
Ugoh mentioned the union would not assure industrial concord if the minister didn’t reverse the alleged allocation of the college’s land to his associates and cronies.
“The act of the FCT Minister is an outright breach and total disregard for the rule of law.
“On Aug. 18, Justice F.E. Mesiri of Maitama High Court granted interlocutory injunctions, including an order restraining the FCT Minister from entering or encroaching on University land.
“In spite of the court order, the FCT Minister went ahead on Sept. 26, to allocate the university land to companies and individuals,” he mentioned.
Ugoh mentioned the minister introduced on June 30, 2025, throughout inauguration of entry highway to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) institute in Giri, retrieval of seven,000 hectares from 11,000 hectares allotted to school.
He mentioned the minister had accused the college of land grabbing and fencing a number of hectares of land with out correct approval or documentation.
“There is overwhelming documentary evidence showing that this parcel of land was allocated to the University of Abuja,” he mentioned.
He defined that the University of Abuja was established on Jan. 1, 1988, with an preliminary land allocation of 11,824 hectares to accommodate its long-term educational and infrastructural growth.
According to him, the college authority couldn’t have by itself determined the place to situate the establishment.
He mentioned the college and the land have been property of the Federal Government and never that of the FCT.
Ugoh mentioned the massive landmass was intentionally allotted to offer room for future enlargement, analysis actions, educational services and different institutional wants.
He famous that the college, as a dual-mode establishment providing typical and distance studying programmes, required adequate land to fulfil its mandate.
Ugoh mentioned the land was additionally wanted for the institution of analysis institutes, innovation centres and different services that might contribute to nationwide growth.
He added that parts of the land served as inexperienced areas for ecological steadiness, environmental conservation and local weather change mitigation.
“The development of the University of Abuja may seem very slow, but it is still the Federal Government that is responsible for the development of its university.
“We appreciate the zeal of the FCT Minister to develop the FCT, but the argument that the land has been left undeveloped for too long does not stand.
“Universities gradually realise their full potential. It is pertinent to mention that the 11,824 hectares of University of Abuja land is not in any way beyond a dual-mode university in the country’s capital.
“For instance, University of Ilorin occupies 15,000 hectares, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, occupies 13,000 hectares, Federal University of Technology, Minna, occupies 10,650 hectares and Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, occupies 10,000 hectares,” he mentioned.
He defined that out of the 11,824 hectares occupied by the University of Abuja, about two hectares have been hilly and would require large assets to develop.
He mentioned the union would, inside the ambit of the regulation, resist in totality any try by the minister to unlawfully take away UniAbuja land.
The union additionally known as on President Bola Tinubu to name the FCT Minister to order to permit peace and concord to prevail on the college campus.
NAN experiences that the information convention adopted an emergency congress of the union held on the college on Nov. 3 to deliberate on the land dispute.(NAN)
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