The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday said he will not allow emotions to influence his decisions in the discharge of his official duties.
Wike made the remark while responding to an appeal by the Senior Pastor of Family Worship Centre, Abuja, Sarah Omakwu, who urged the FCT Administration not to allocate the Jabi Lake recreation area for private development.
In a video shared on her Instagram page on Sunday, Omakwu was seen kneeling on the pulpit as she made the appeal, saying:
“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.”
Reacting during his monthly press briefing in Abuja, Wike said he remained focused on governance and would not be swayed by emotional appeals.
“I’m human in this government and you don’t expect everybody to be happy. If the majority are happy, then I’m happy. Some people don’t understand what’s going on; you should ask questions,” he said.
Addressing the cleric’s appeal directly, he added:
“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?”
Wike explained that the site had earlier been allocated to a company for development into an entertainment facility, but said the project had deteriorated into shanties.
“When 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 even know if there are criminals there,” he said.
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