Abuja pastor kneels, urges Wike not to allocate Jabi Lake land

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Pastor Sarah Omakwu. Credit: X / @SarahOmakwu

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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.

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Omakwu made the appeal in a video posted on her Instagram page on Sunday, where she was seen kneeling while addressing the minister.

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“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,” she said.

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She described the Jabi Lake Recreation Area as a vital public space where residents gather for exercise, social activities and community events.

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“That is where people go for exercise… where people meet and hobnob… where young people go to,” she added, urging the minister to preserve the area for public use.

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The cleric also expressed concern over what she described as a gradual loss of public spaces in Abuja, citing restricted access to Aso Rock over time.

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“I can’t fight you. But I can beg you in the name of God Almighty that that land be left for everybody,” she said.

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Despite her appeal, Omakwu commended the minister for ongoing infrastructure projects across the Federal Capital Territory, particularly road developments that have improved mobility.

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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.”

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Her appeal follows recent moves by the Federal Capital Territory Administration to partner with private firms for the redevelopment of the Jabi Lake area into a tourism and recreation hub.

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In February, Vanguard reported that the FCTA entered into agreements with Suburban Broadband Limited and Akida Hills Limited to upgrade the site and boost tourism as well as economic activities in the capital.

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At the time, Wike said the initiative was designed to reposition Abuja as a more competitive destination for leisure, hospitality and investment.

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