The University of Abuja Alumni Association has urged President Bola Tinubu to wade into the land revocation threat facing the nation’s capital university and stop the planned revocation of 7000 hectares of land legally allocated to the institution.
The president of the Alumni, Habeeb-Ullah Abdulkadir who briefed newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, described the attempted revocation by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as illegal and a direct assault on Nigeria’s educational heritage, as well as Nigeria’s national heritage.
According to him, the allocation of 11,800 hectares to UNIABUJA in 1988 under former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida’s administration, was not arbitrary rather, it was carefully planned to accommodate academic infrastructure, research facilities, agricultural programmes and future expansion that would serve generations of Nigerian students, as Nigeria’s premier educational institution.
Abdulkadir regretted that rather than supporting the university to develop its land, Wike was bent on taking the land away from the University and has refused to dialogue, engage in stakeholders consultations or regard due process.
While insisting that the planned revocation was in violation of the Land Use Act of 1978 and breaches the university’s legitimate title, Abdulkadir noted that reducing the university’s land to a mere 4000 hectares would cripple the ability to accommodate the growing students population and frustrate the the university’s mandate of serving as a dual mode institution for conventional and distance learning students.
He said: “This reckless action risks damaging Nigeria’s reputation in the international education circles and jeopardising valuable partnerships that benefit our students and the nation.
“The visitor of our dear University and our father, Bola Tinubu who adjudicates on any matter in doubt or dispute regarding the university, to urgently intervene and order the Minister to retrace his reps regarding the university land.
“Minister Wike’s silence will not deter us. His disregard for due process will not break our resolve. We are prepared for a protracted battle because the future of Nigerian education and the integrity of our institution depends on our success.”
Following Wike’s refusal to dialogue, the Alumni disclosed formal protest letters have been issued to the FCT Minister, the Minister of education and copied the Presidency. Also, the alumni is petitioning the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and other professional bodies.
While warning developers to steer clear of the land, the alumni disclosed it was launching the Save UniAbuja Project to coordinate a comprehensive legal, media and public action aimed at dealing with attacks on the university, and was mobilising massively for the National Assembly Public hearing.
“We will organise peaceful protests, we are pursuing legal action in competent courts of law, we are submitting petitions to national and international institutions.
“We remain open to dialogue, but we will not be ignored. We seek peace, but we are prepared for principled resistance. We hope for reason to prevail, but we are ready to use every legal and constitutional means at our disposal.
“The University of Abuja belongs to all Nigerians. Its land and identity are national assets, not political bargaining chips. The name of the University is a National heritage and also worthy of our protection.”