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The Nigerian Senate has vowed to intervene after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) confirmed that the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, forcefully took over portions of land belonging to the University of Abuja.
The union said the land in question was originally allocated for academic and agricultural development, describing the minister’s action as a direct threat to the university’s expansion and research activities.
ASUU president, Chris Piwuna, made this known during a closed-door session with the Senate committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund in Abuja on Friday.
He warned that the FCT administration’s encroachment plans would stifle innovation and compromise the university’s long-term development.
Piwuna said: “That land is crucial for research, expansion, and innovation. If the minister succeeds, he would be choking the future of education in the capital.”
Following the union’s complaint, Senator Mohammed Dandutse, chairman of the committee, said the Senate would engage the minister to prevent the takeover.
The senator said: “The Senate agrees to interface with the minister of the FCT to ensure that the University of Abuja’s land is not taken from them.
“We will study all the issues raised and take appropriate steps to ensure an amicable resolution.”
Recall that Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing FCT, had raised an alarm that Wike revoked 7,000 out of 11,000 hectares of land allocated to the University of Abuja, in violation of the Land Use Act.
