The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said emotional appeals will not influence government decisions regarding the redevelopment of Jabi Lake, insisting that land use in Abuja must follow due process and serve public interest.
Wike made the remarks on Wednesday while responding to a plea by Sarah Omakwu, senior pastor of the Family Worship Centre, who had urged him not to allocate the Jabi Lake recreation area for private development.
Omakwu, in a video shared on Instagram, had appealed on her knees, asking the minister not to hand over the facility to private interests.
Reacting, Wike said his administration inherited a poorly managed arrangement at the site, where a company held the land for over 15 years without meaningful development.
“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?
“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.
“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He disclosed that the land allocation had been revoked and would be reassigned to investors capable of developing the area, noting that strict conditions would guide the new arrangement.
“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.
“We will reallocate the land with clear conditions. If there is no development within the specified time, we will take it back.”
The minister stressed that the land belongs to the government and must be used for the collective benefit, dismissing claims of personal ownership.
“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.
Wike also cited instances of alleged land-use violations, including a case where a cleric built a church on land designated for recreational purposes, warning that such actions would not be tolerated.
“You cannot build where you are not supposed to and expect sympathy,” he added.