The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Thursday disclosed that the Federal Capital Administration (FCTA) revoked the allocation of the Jabi Lake Park after the developer abandoned the project for two decades.
Speaking during a media chat with journalists in Abuja, Wike said the revocation formed part of a broader crackdown on undeveloped public assets, illegal conversions of parks and recreational spaces, and abuse of land allocations in the nation’s capital.
According to him, the administration would no longer allow developers to hold prime public land indefinitely without fulfilling the terms of their allocations.
“Look at what you have at Jabi, where this public, who claim they are human rights activists, went to court saying they used to train there and do jogging. That has become the reason government cannot take a decision on that place,” he said.
“That place was given out 20 years ago to one company they call Suburban. One of these days I went there. Oh my God. Shanties everywhere, people are selling food there. Look at the lake. I said, where in this world will you have such a place and you cannot develop it? These are the kind of places people would like to go and stay.”
Wike said he immediately ordered the revocation of the allocation after discovering the state of neglect.
“I said, revoke it. That’s your fault. Twenty years ago it was given out to Suburban,” he stated.
The minister said the decision prompted frantic appeals from the developer, who claimed to have finally secured financing after learning of the revocation.
“Do you know the answer I got? Within two or three minutes, calls started coming from everywhere. ‘Oh, they have been looking for finance, now they have gotten the finance.’ Oh, you got the finance today simply because you heard it has been revoked.
“I said, okay, come and let me see the finance. Where is the money in the account? Put an agreement before us. Go and do the development. Development Control will supervise and make sure you comply.”
Wike said the FCTA would now impose strict timelines on all land allocations, warning that undeveloped properties would automatically revert to the government.
“We’re going to make conditions. How many years will you have to develop? If you don’t develop within the stipulated time, it goes back to the government. Not where you give an entire place to somebody and he keeps it for decades without doing anything.”
The minister also announced that the FCTA had commenced reclaiming parks and gardens across Abuja after discovering widespread irregularities in their allocation and management.
He alleged that many park operators possessed documents that lacked ministerial approval and had converted recreation areas into residential buildings, hotels, restaurants and other commercial ventures in violation of their original purpose.
“Most of the documents people have do not have any sign of approval. You just go to the Parks Department, they prepare agreements and tell people they have been given a park.
“You go to places designated as parks and gardens and they have been converted into residential houses. Others meant for passive recreation now have caravans where people are doing business and making money. Everything about the conditions has been violated.”
According to Wike, the FCTA is currently handling more than 2,000 land-related disputes, with about 1,500 involving parks and gardens.
“If we have over 2,000 cases, about 1,500 come from parks and gardens. People are claiming ownership. Recreation areas that should be beautified with flowers have been converted to hotels and ‘mama put’. That is not what parks and gardens are meant for.”
He blamed the situation on collusion between some government officials and private individuals, insisting that the era of informal allocations had ended.
“The collusion between individuals and those who work in this area is something else. Anybody who wants parks and gardens must apply properly and obtain ministerial approval.”
The minister further defended his administration’s revocation of other undeveloped plots across Abuja, saying many allottees had held public land for over 20 years without making any meaningful investment.
“When people say I’m grabbing land, I laugh. You cannot be in this position and expect everybody to praise you. You have to take decisions that some people will not like.”
He maintained that all revocations were carried out in the public interest to ensure that valuable government land was put to productive use.
“You cannot continue to hold government land for 20 years without development. If you don’t develop what you were allocated within the agreed period, it goes back to the government. That is the only way Abuja will develop the way it should.”
