The Senior Pastor of Family Worship Centre, Abuja, Sarah Omakwu, has appealed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, not to allocate the Jabi Lake recreation area for private development.
Naija News reports that Omakwu made the appeal in a video shared on her Instagram page on Sunday, where she was seen kneeling on the pulpit while addressing the minister.
The cleric said she could not fight the FCT minister but was appealing to him as a mother in the country.
She said, “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.”
Omakwu also raised concerns over public access to recreational spaces in Abuja, recalling how access to some public places had become restricted over time.
“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 said.
Pastor Commends Wike’s Projects
Despite her appeal, Omakwu commended Wike for ongoing infrastructure development 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 comments come months after the Federal Capital Territory Administration signed agreements with private firms to transform Jabi Lake into a major recreational hub.
In February, the FCTA, under Wike, entered into a development partnership with Suburban Broadband Limited and Akida Hills Limited to upgrade the facility and boost tourism in Abuja.
Wike had said the initiative was aimed at repositioning the nation’s capital as a destination for leisure and economic activities.
Watch the video below:
