The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has defended the planned redevelopment of Jabi Lake, saying government decisions on land use cannot be based on emotions or public pressure.
Wike made the remarks on Wednesday while reacting to an appeal by the Senior Pastor of Family Worship Centre, Sarah Omakwu, who had pleaded with him not to allocate the Jabi Lake recreation area for private development.
Pastor Omakwu, in a video shared on Instagram, was seen kneeling and appealing to the minister to preserve the area and stop its transfer to private interests.
Responding to the appeal, Wike said the land belongs to the government and must be managed in the interest of the public, not individuals.
“You talk about the woman kneeling down and begging. I’m not carried away by such emotions. Begging to do what? Who owns Jabi Lake?” he said.
“How does it become your own? First of all, I came on board; that place was given to a company that said they wanted to turn it into an entertainment place, but they have turned it into shanties.”
The minister explained that the previous allocation had lasted for over 15 years without meaningful development, adding that the area had deteriorated and raised security concerns.
“One of these days I went there and said, ‘This can’t be; there is a hotel, and who would come to stay in that hotel when there are shanties all over?’ You don’t know if there are criminals,” he stated.
Wike said the government had revoked the allocation and planned to hand the land over to investors capable of developing it properly.
“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,” he said.
According to him, the new allocation would come with strict conditions to ensure timely development.
“We will reallocate the land with clear conditions. If there is no development within the specified time, we will take it back,” he added.
The FCT minister also dismissed claims suggesting personal ownership of the lake area, insisting that the land remains government property meant to serve 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?” Wike asked.
“We are trying to make sure investors develop this land for the interest of all of us.”
He further revealed that the government had discovered cases of illegal developments in the area, including a church allegedly built on land designated for recreational purposes.
“You cannot build where you are not supposed to and expect sympathy,” he said.
