The senior pastor of Family Worship Centre, Abuja, Sarah Omakwu, has urged the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, not to allocate the Jabi Lake recreation area for private development.
Omakwu made the request in an Instagram video posted on Sunday, where she was seen kneeling on the pulpit and addressing the minister.
“I cannot fight the minister of the FCT. I cannot. But I go on my knees as a mother; in this land, the 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 expressed alarm about previous changes in Abuja, recalling how public access to Aso Rock was curtailed over time.
Omakwu requested the minister to keep the Jabi Lake region as a public space for residents.
“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.
Despite her plea, she praised the minister for the ongoing infrastructure development in the Federal Capital Territory.
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.”
