Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Professor Faruk Adamu Kuta, has firmly asserted that the University’s Bosso Campus is lawfully and permanently vested in the Federal Government for the exclusive use by the University, dismissing claims that the property was leased and is subject to takeover by the Niger State Government.
The Governor of Niger State, Umaru Bago, was reported to have issued a quit notice to the management of the University as part of an alleged move to reclaim the University’s temporary site, Bosso Campus.
Bago was said to have argued that Bosso Campus was originally the Government Teachers’ College, Minna, a property owned by the state government that was leased to the Federal Government in 1983 for the establishment of the university.
The reported takeover plan has recently sparked protests within the university community, prompting staff and students to stage peaceful protests in opposition to the move.
In a statement, Processor Kuta maintained that the Bosso Campus, formerly Government Teachers’ College, Minna, was acquired following the establishment of the University by the Federal Government of Nigeria saying, record indicated that a compensation in the sum of N2.8 million was paid to Niger State Government, which sealed a transaction for a permanent transfer of ownership and not a lease arrangement as claimed.
He further revealed that, beyond the acquisition of the former Teachers’ College, the University had also independently acquired and compensated private landowners for additional adjoining parcels of land belonging to Dr. Michael O. Ikeh, Amajo Enterprises Nigeria Ltd, and the Roman Catholic Church, which were fully paid for, and this further consolidated the University’s ownership interest.
The Vice Chancellor further stated that there was no record of any lease agreement, tenancy documentation, or temporary transfer instrument in respect of the property in contention, arguing that the payment of compensation signified a complete transfer of proprietary interest to the Federal Government for the exclusive use of the University.
According to him, “The recent indications of an intended repossession of Bosso campus by the state government are inconsistent with historical records and established legal principles governing federal property.
“Minutes of the University’s Second Council Meeting in September 1983 documented the acquisition and payment of compensation, while a Federal Government Visitation Panel (1999–2003) affirmed the permanent nature of the transfer. Additionally, a 2014 circular from the National Universities Commission directed federal universities to secure title documents of properties not intended for reversion to state governments.
“Land validly acquired and vested in the Federal Government for public purposes cannot be unilaterally revoked or reclaimed by a state authority without due constitutional process.
“The University acknowledged that while land within a state is held in trust by the Governor, such authority does not extend to property lawfully vested in the Federal Government or its agencies for public use. The Bosso Campus, he stated, falls squarely within this protected category,” he added.
