Wike rejects strike threat over University of Abuja land
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on P.M. News
Nigeria’s minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, rejects a strike threat by the university teachers’ union over the reallocation of University of Abuja land. He says land management falls under the territory’s administration, while the union is defending 11,824 hectares reserved for the university.
Nyesom Wike, Nigeria’s minister of the Federal Capital Territory, rejected the strike threat from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over the reallocation of University of Abuja land to private developers and public agencies. He challenged the union’s right to intervene in the capital’s land administration during an exchange with the media on Thursday in Port Harcourt, according to P.M. News.
The ASUU branch at the University of Abuja opposes the reallocation of land in the Giri district. Its president, Sylvanus Ugoh, warned that the union could no longer guarantee industrial peace on campus if the allocations were not cancelled. ASUU believes the 11,824 hectares initially allocated to the university are needed for its expansion, agricultural research and infrastructure.
Wike defended the decisions of the Federal Capital Territory administration, saying that land management and enforcement of the urban plan fell within its powers. He also rejected allegations of land grabbing and said the administration was ready to defend its position in court. The minister added that the recovery of unused land would continue.
