The Senior Pastor of Family Worship Centre, Sarah Omakwu, has made a heartfelt appeal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, urging him not to hand over the Jabi Lake Recreation Area for private development.
Omakwu made this appeal in a video posted on her Instagram page on Sunday, where she was seen kneeling on the pulpit as she addressed the minister.
“I cannot fight the minister of the FCT. I cannot. But I go on my knees as a mother in this land that Jabi Lake Recreation Centre should not be given to anybody.
“That is where people go for exercise. That is where people sell. That is where people meet and hobnob and get married.
“That is where people go to watch games. That is where young people go to. I beg you, Mr Minister, in the name of God, as a mother, to not sell that land to anybody,” she said.
She also raised concerns about how some public spaces in Abuja have gradually become restricted, recalling the situation with Aso Rock, where access has tightened over time.
Omakwu urged the minister to preserve the Jabi Lake area as an open space for the public.
“I can’t fight you. But I can beg you in the name of God Almighty that that land be left for everybody. I beg you. Please heed our call,” she stated.
Even with her concerns, she acknowledged the minister’s efforts in developing infrastructure across the FCT.
She said, “I want to thank you for all the highways you have built around the city. I thank you. You have made my journey to my home a whole lot easier. Thank you for the other things you are doing. But for this piece of land, I beg you, let it go.”
Her appeal is coming months after the Federal Capital Territory Administration entered into agreements with private firms to transform Jabi Lake into a major recreational hub.
In February, the FCTA, under Wike, signed a development partnership with Suburban Broadband Limited and Akida Hills Limited to upgrade the facility and strengthen tourism in Abuja.
The minister had explained that the move is part of efforts to reposition the nation’s capital as a prime destination for leisure and economic activities.