By Odeh Favour Adiya
Pastor Sarah Omakwu, the Senior Pastor of Family Worship Centre in Abuja, has made a passionate public appeal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, regarding the preservation of the Jabi Lake recreation area. In a video shared on her Instagram page this past Sunday, the cleric took the unconventional and humble step of kneeling on her pulpit while addressing the minister directly. She emphasized that her plea was not an act of confrontation but a heartfelt request from a “mother in the land” to protect one of the city’s few remaining public spaces from being allocated for private development.
During her address, Omakwu highlighted the vital role the Jabi Lake Recreation Centre plays in the daily lives of Abuja residents, describing it as a communal hub where people exercise, trade, and socialize. She noted that the area serves as a significant landmark for youth engagement, sports viewing, and even a place where life-long relationships begin. By pleading “in the name of God,” she urged the minister to ensure the land remains accessible to everyone rather than being sold off to private interests.
The pastor also grounded her concerns in the historical context of the city’s urban evolution. She cited the gradual restriction of public access to Aso Rock over the years as a cautionary example of how public spaces can be lost to the community. While she was firm in her request for the minister to heed the collective call of the residents to preserve Jabi Lake as a public commons, she also took a moment to acknowledge and commend Minister Wike for the various infrastructure developments currently being executed across the Federal Capital Territory.
