By Daily Review Online
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed emotional appeals over the future of Abuja’s Jabi Lake, insisting that government decisions must be guided by due process and public interest.
Wike stated this while reacting to a viral plea by Sarah Omakwu, Senior Pastor of the Family Worship Centre, who had urged him not to allocate the Jabi Lake Recreation Area for private development.
In the video, Omakwu was seen kneeling as she appealed to the minister to preserve the facility as a public space, describing it as an important hub for social, recreational, and community activities in the capital.
However, Wike made it clear that such emotional gestures would not influence policy decisions. According to him, the government inherited a poorly managed arrangement at the site, which had been allocated to a company for over 15 years without meaningful development.
He explained that the existing allocation had been revoked and would be reassigned to investors capable of transforming the area into a properly developed facility. Wike also emphasized that strict conditions would be attached to the new allocation, warning that failure to develop the land within a specified timeframe would lead to its withdrawal.
The FCT minister further argued that allowing undeveloped land to remain idle was unacceptable, noting that parts of the area had deteriorated into substandard structures that could pose security concerns.
The controversy follows ongoing plans by the Federal Capital Territory Administration to partner with private firms to redevelop Jabi Lake into a modern tourism and leisure destination, a move that has sparked debate over the balance between public access and commercial development.