FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has insisted that sentiment will not dictate decisions regarding the redevelopment of Jabi Lake, stressing that all land matters in Abuja must align with due process and the overall public good.
He made this known while reacting to an emotional appeal by Family Worship Centre’s senior pastor, Sarah Omakwu, who had publicly pleaded with him not to allocate the Jabi Lake recreational area to private developers.
According to Wike, the current administration inherited a problematic situation at the site, noting that the land had been handed over to a company for more than 15 years without any tangible 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 maintained that government actions must be based on proper procedures rather than emotional pressure, adding that the redevelopment effort is aimed at correcting years of neglect and restoring order to the area.
