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By Lawrence Agbo
Sarah Omakwu has made an emotional appeal to Nyesom Wike, urging him not to hand over the Jabi Lake Recreation Area for private development.
In a video shared on her Instagram page, the cleric was seen kneeling on the pulpit as she passionately asked the FCT minister to preserve the popular recreational centre for public use.
Omakwu said she was not in a position to confront the minister politically, but chose instead to appeal to him as a mother concerned about the wellbeing of residents who depend on the space for daily activities.
According to her, Jabi Lake serves as more than just a leisure centre, describing it as an important social and economic hub where people exercise, meet friends, relax, do business and even celebrate important life events.
“I cannot fight the minister of the FCT, 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.
She stressed that the area remains one of the few open public spaces where young people gather, traders earn a living and families spend time together, warning that handing it over for private ownership would deny many residents access.
“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.
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The pastor also reflected on how some public spaces in Abuja had gradually become inaccessible over the years, using restrictions around Aso Rock as an example of what she feared could happen again.
She pleaded with Wike to allow the land remain available to everyone rather than being turned into an exclusive private property.
“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 concerns, Omakwu acknowledged the minister’s ongoing infrastructure projects across the capital, praising him for road construction and improvements that have made movement easier for residents.
She thanked him for the highways and other visible projects being carried out in Abuja but insisted that Jabi Lake should be treated differently because of its importance as a shared public space.
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 appeal comes months after the Federal Capital Territory Administration entered into agreements with private companies to redevelop Jabi Lake into a major tourism and recreation destination.
In February, the FCTA signed a partnership with Suburban Broadband Limited and Akida Hills Limited to transform the area and strengthen tourism and economic activity in the nation’s capital.
Wike had explained at the time that the project aimed to reposition Abuja as a stronger centre for leisure, hospitality and investment.
