Sarah Omakwu, the Senior Pastor of Family Worship Centre in Abuja, has made a passionate plea to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to protect the Jabi Lake recreation area from being converted into private property.
In a video posted to her Instagram on Sunday, the cleric was seen kneeling on the pulpit to address the minister directly.
Expressing her stance as a concerned citizen, she stated, “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 highlighted the park’s importance as a social hub, noting, “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.”
Omakwu voiced her fears by comparing the situation to previous public spaces in Abuja, such as Aso Rock, which eventually saw restricted access.
Addressing the minister’s authority, she pleaded, “I beg you, Mr Minister, in the name of God, as a mother, to not sell that land to anybody.”
Despite her protest over the land, she acknowledged the improvements Wike has brought to the capital’s infrastructure. “I want to thank you for all the highways you have built around the city. I thank you. You have made my journey to my home a whole lot easier. Thank you for the other things you are doing,” she said.
However, she remained firm on the preservation of the park, concluding, “But for this piece of land, I beg you, let it go.”
She ended her message with a final humble request: “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.”
See video below:
