The Acting Vice Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University (formerly University of Abuja), Prof. Lar Patricia Manko, has debunked claims made by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, accusing the institution of land grabbing.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Prof. Manko said the 11,000 hectares of land in question were legally allocated to the university by the Federal Government years ago, describing the land as a legacy asset meant for academic and developmental purposes.
“We didn’t grab any land. This land belongs to the university and was properly given to us by the government,” she said.
Wike, while commissioning an access road project in the Giri district on June 30, alleged that the university had fenced off and taken over 11,000 hectares of land without proper documentation.
According to him, “No document, nothing. That’s all you see there, fencing everywhere. And before you know it, they were going to sell our land.”
Wike added that he had directed the FCT Lands Department to reduce the land to 4,000 hectares and return only that portion to the university.
But Prof. Manko insisted that the land was not only properly allocated, but also part of the university’s long-term development plans. She said the land would be used for agriculture, tourism, staff quarters, student hostels, and research centres.
She acknowledged that while the university lacks the funds to develop the land fully, it has entered into agreements with investors through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to partner on various projects.
“Our staff quarters are currently on military-donated plots. We have plans to build permanent structures on our land,” she added.
Prof. Manko emphasized that the matter is already being addressed through the proper channels and called for a calm and fair resolution.
