Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike has rejected a plea by senior pastor of the Family Worship Centre Sarah Omakwu to stop the redevelopment of Jabi Lake, saying the government will proceed with its plans.
Minister Wike spoke on Wednesday in Abuja during a media chat in response to a video in which Pastor Omakwu appealed to him not to allocate the Jabi Lake recreation area.
Omakwu went on her knees to ask the minister not to hand over the facility, noting that people use the area for exercise, trade and social activities.
Responding, Wike said the appeal would not influence government decisions.
“You talked about a woman kneeling begging. I do not get carried away by such emotions. Kneeling to do what? How is Jabi land your own?” he said.
The minister said his administration met an existing arrangement where a company held the land for over 15 years without development.
“When I came on board, I discovered that Jabi Lake had been given to one company for 15 or 16 years without any development,” he said.
He added that the allocation had been revoked and would be reassigned to investors.
“You cannot allocate land and leave it for that long with nothing to show. We revoked it. Now we want to give it to people who are ready to develop it,” Wike said.
He said the new arrangement would include conditions and timelines.
“We will reallocate the land with clear conditions. If there is no development within the specified time, we will take it back,” he added.
Wike said the land belongs to the government and must serve public interest.
“To the woman who was crying, if she likes, let her call God to come down. What is my business? How does Jabi become hers? Is it an individual or government property?” he said.
He also cited a case of a cleric who built a church on land meant for recreation, saying such actions would not be allowed.
“You cannot build where you are not supposed to and expect sympathy,” he said.
The minister said the government has signed agreements with private firms to redevelop Jabi Lake.
In February, the Federal Capital Territory Administration entered into a partnership with Suburban Broadband Limited and Akida Hills Limited for the project.
