A Call for Reason: Hands Off Yakubu Gowon University’s Land Now

As a seasoned observer of events and a devoted student of the prestigious Yakubu Gowon University,my beloved alma mater, I write with a heavy heart and a resolute spirit to address the reckless remarks made by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory,H.E Barr. Nyesom Wike, during his visit to Giri yesterday, April 4, 2025. His threat to revoke the vast land duly allocated to our university by the Federal Government is not only an insult to our collective pride but a shameful display of misplaced priorities from a public servant entrusted with our welfare.

Since yesterday, sensational headlines have flooded newspapers and social media, screaming of the minister’s “disappointment” over the undeveloped state of the over 10,000 hectares of land granted to Yakubu Gowon University. Let me be clear: we, the students, stand in firm disagreement with these insulting narratives that paint our cherished institution as wasteful or inept. The minister’s words, as reported by his media aide Anthony Ogunleye, betray a shocking ignorance of the challenges we face and an arrogance that undermines the very people he claims to serve.

The minister should be ashamed. Yakubu Gowon University, the only functioning federal university in the Federal Capital Territory under his watch, has struggled with underdevelopment not because of incompetence but due to neglect from those in power, like him. Instead of wielding threats of revocation like a blunt weapon, he ought to look in the mirror and ask why this prestigious institution lacks the infrastructure he so glibly compares to other universities. Where are the streetlights to illuminate our paths from the airport to the staff quarters in Giri? Where are the buildings to ease our academic activities? Where is the development he boasts of seeing elsewhere? Where is the Yakubu Gowon unity park we lobbied for? The best he could muster during his visit was a grandstanding rebuke, questioning why we “took” 10,000 hectares, as if we snatched it rather than received it through lawful allocation by the Federal Government.

Let this serve as a warning: any attempt by the FCT Minister to tamper with our land will be met with unwavering resistance from the students and staff of Yakubu Gowon University. This is not just about acreage; it is about our future, our dignity, and our right to an education unthreatened by the whims of a minister more interested in headlines than progress. We will not sit idly by while our heritage is stripped away under the guise of “development.”

Rather than parading himself as some arbiter of land use, Minister Wike should be considerate of our needs. The land he threatens to revoke was allocated under law for a purpose, to foster education and growth in the FCT. If he truly cares about quality buildings and facilities, as he claims, why not channel his energy into bringing those very things to our campus? Other universities he admires did not sprout their infrastructure overnight; they were nurtured by leaders who prioritized support over ultimatums. Rome wasn't built in a day, remember.

We, the students, urge the minister to retract his inflammatory statement immediately. He owes Yakubu Gowon University an apology for casting aspersions on an institution that has stood resolute in its support for the presidency and its contributions to the FCT. More than that, he must commit to delivering the development he claims to champion, modern facilities, reliable power, and accessible roads, instead of disrupting the peace of a school that has endured more than its fair share of neglect.

Yakubu Gowon University is not just a plot of land; it is a beacon of hope for thousands of us who call it home. I love this university, not merely for what it is today, but for what it can become with the right leadership. H.E Barr Nyesom Wike, the ball is in your court. Choose progress over provocation. We are watching.