Jabi Lake: Wike rejects pastor’s plea, vows development continues

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday ruled out any reversal of government plans for the development of Jabi Lake, dismissing public appeals as emotional and inconsistent with established land-use regulations in Abuja.

Wike spoke during a media chat in Abuja while reacting to a viral video of the Senior Pastor of Family Worship Centre, Sarah Omakwu, who knelt while appealing to the minister not to concession the Jabi Lake recreation area.

Omakwu had said, “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, socialise, and get married. I beg you, Mr Minister, in the name of God, as a mother, not to sell that land to anybody.”

Responding, Wike said such appeals would not influence policy 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 explained that his administration inherited a poorly managed arrangement at the lake, which prompted the current reforms.

Wike stated, “When I came on board, I discovered that Jabi Lake had been given to one company for 15 or 16 years without any development.

“They said they wanted to invest and turn it into an entertainment centre, but when you go there, you see shanties. I went there myself and said, ‘This cannot continue.’”

He added that the government had no option but to revoke the allocation and seek new investors capable of developing the site.

“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.

The minister maintained that the new arrangement would be strictly monitored to avoid a repeat of past failures.

“To show that it is not personal, we will reallocate the land with clear conditions. If there is no development within the specified time, we will take it back.

“We cannot give land for 20 years without progress. Who does that?” Wike added.

Wike also dismissed claims of personal ownership over the land, stressing that it belongs to the government and must be used in the collective 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?

“We are trying to make sure investors develop this land for the interest of all of us,” he stated.

The minister further cited a separate case involving a cleric who allegedly built a church on land designated for recreational use.

“The cleric called and said he did not know that he had built his church on recreational land. He built his church with whose approval?” Wike asked.

“I told him that I will give him time to move out, but I cannot allow him to stay there. We cannot continue with this kind of system,” he added.

He reiterated that emotional reactions would not override enforcement of planning laws.

“Now people are appealing to emotion, saying, ‘Why is he (Wike) doing this?’ What kind of system is that? You cannot build where you are not supposed to and expect sympathy,” he noted.

On broader concerns about the investment climate in Abuja, Wike dismissed claims that the city is becoming unfriendly to business.

“As human beings, you do not expect everybody to support every government. What is important is the results.

“I met with representatives of the European Union, and they were satisfied with what we are doing and are willing to partner with us,” the minister added.

The minister added that visible development across the capital continues to drive his administration.

“When people see that what you are doing affects their lives positively, it motivates you to do more. That is what encourages me,” he said.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration recently 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.