Pastor Omakwu kneels on pulpit, begs Wike to spare Jabi Lake

The Senior Pastor of Family Worship Centre in Abuja, Sarah Omakwu, has publicly pleaded with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to halt plans to hand over the Jabi Lake recreation area to private interests.

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

“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.

“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.”

The pastor also raised concern over a pattern of shrinking public spaces in Abuja, citing the gradual restriction of public access to Aso Rock as a cautionary example. She urged the minister to preserve the Jabi Lake area as open, accessible space for all FCT 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 added.

While pressing her case against the proposed privatisation, Omakwu was careful to acknowledge Wike’s record on infrastructure, commending him for road construction projects across the capital.

“I want to thank you for all the highways you have built around the city. 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,” she said.

Her appeal comes months after the FCT Administration formalised development agreements with two private firms over the facility.

In February, the FCTA signed a partnership with Suburban Broadband Limited and Akida Hills Limited to redevelop Jabi Lake into a major recreational and tourism hub.

Wike had described the initiative as part of a broader effort to reposition Abuja as a destination for leisure and economic activity.