The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Municipal Branch, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has appealed to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to recover lands acquired for teachers’ estates in Abuja and investigate those allegedly responsible for encroaching on the properties.

The union made the appeal during a press briefing in Abuja, where it alleged that land grabbers, developers and a Chinese-owned quarry company had encroached on portions of its properties at the Lugbe East Extension and Lugbe 1 Extension layouts.

According to the NUT, the affected plots were acquired and regularised in 2012 for the development of teachers’ estates but have allegedly faced persistent encroachment in recent years.

The Secretary of the NUT Municipal Branch, FCT, Comrade Percy Ndam, said the union had repeatedly raised the matter with the FCT Administration and other government agencies but had yet to receive a satisfactory response.

Ndam said the union had also reported the alleged encroachment to the FCT Minister, the National Assembly, the Senate Committee on FCT, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Federal Ministry of Education.

“We want the minister to build houses for us. We want him to recover these lands. We also want him to go straight after those who are doing this grabbing,” he said.

He disclosed that a committee established by a previous FCT administration to investigate the matter had yet to submit its report to the union.

“Severally, we met with the committee. Each time we meet, they will tell us they are working on it and that government came and left,” Ndam said.

The union alleged that a Chinese-owned quarry company and some unidentified developers had encroached on parts of the land and fenced off sections for their own use.

It further alleged that some developers obtained documents relating to portions of the properties after the NUT had already acquired the land.

Ndam said the union had instituted legal proceedings over the alleged encroachment involving the quarry company but expressed concern that the matter had remained in court due to repeated adjournments.

He, however, assured that the union would continue to pursue peaceful and lawful means of protecting the properties.

“We are teachers. We are mothers. We are responsible personalities. We cannot carry weapons to fight,” he said.

The NUT called for an immediate halt to what it described as unauthorised activities on the two sites and urged authorities to prosecute those allegedly responsible for the encroachment.

It also called on the FCT Administration to revalidate and protect the land allocated to the union.

The teachers said the properties represented a major welfare investment for serving and retired teachers, noting that many members had contributed from their salaries towards acquiring and developing the land.

“This is not just land; this is the future of teachers in the FCT,” the union said.

Earlier, the Chairman of the NUT Municipal Branch, Comrade Umar Mohammed Makusidi, who was represented by the Deputy Chairman, Comrade Charles Ekwere, appealed to the public and FCT authorities to intervene in the land dispute.

He also alleged that the FCT Minister had yet to grant the union an audience over the matter.