The Senior Pastor of Family Worship Centre, Abuja, Sarah Omakwu, has appealed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, not to allocate the Jabi Lake recreation area for private development.

Omakwu made the appeal in a video shared on her Instagram page on Sunday, where she was seen kneeling on the pulpit while 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 that 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 cited concerns over past developments in Abuja, recalling how public access to Aso Rock was restricted over time.

Omakwu urged the minister to preserve the Jabi Lake area 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 appeal, she commended the minister for ongoing infrastructure development in the Federal Capital Territory.

Her comments come months after the Federal Capital Territory Administration signed agreements with private firms to transform Jabi Lake into a major recreational hub.

In February, the FCTA, under Wike, entered into a development partnership with Suburban Broadband Limited and Akida Hills Limited to upgrade the facility and boost tourism in Abuja.

The minister had said the initiative was aimed at repositioning the nation’s capital as a destination for leisure and economic activities. (Text, excluding headline: The PUNCH)