By Clement Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Minister of Works, David Umahi, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s administration, dismissed the possibility of Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, dominating the South-East in the 2027 election, and denied allegations linking him to the death of his former aide, Mary Habila, and claims of sexual harassment levelled against him by Tracy Ohiere.
Umahi spoke during an interview on Friday (today) with Arise News presenter, Ojy Okpe, where he addressed the controversies surrounding his tenure as governor of Ebonyi State, the killing of engineers working on a federal road project, his political differences with Obi, and his support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.
On the allegations by Ohiere, who accused him of sexual harassment, the minister described the claims as laughable and insisted that he had never met her before their encounter at a police station in Abuja.
He disclosed that three cases had been instituted against Ohiere, two in Ebonyi State and one in Abuja, challenging her to provide evidence to substantiate her allegations.
According to Umahi, Ohiere should produce records of communication, quotations and other documents to support her claim that she was awarded a contract worth N25 million.
The minister also alleged that disagreements over money among social media content creators supporting Ohiere had contributed to the controversy, although he did not provide independent evidence to substantiate the claim.
On the death of Mary Habila, his former aide, Umahi maintained that she died of natural causes, claiming that she had a pre-existing heart condition and had experienced episodes of bleeding before her death.
He said Habila’s family had been aware of her health condition and that her medical records were obtained by the police during their investigation. Umahi further disclosed that he insisted on an autopsy despite the family’s initial opposition, adding that the examination reportedly revealed an enlarged heart.
The minister said he was awaiting the histology results and intended to obtain the complete police investigation and autopsy reports to establish the circumstances surrounding her death.
He also denied allegations that Habila had been brought from Kaduna for his personal gratification, describing the claims as defamatory and indicating that he would pursue legal action against those responsible.
Addressing the killing of engineers working on the African Development Bank-funded 199-kilometre ring road project in Ebonyi State, Umahi said the incident occurred in an area affected by communal violence.
He explained that the engineers were allegedly attacked after travelling through a route where members of the troubled community had mounted checkpoints.
According to the minister, information provided by the police indicated that the attackers mistook the engineers for informants or people sent to attack them.
Umahi said the assailants killed five people, adding that security operatives subsequently arrested suspects who allegedly confessed to the crime and led investigators to the burial site.
The former Governor disclosed that three police officers were also killed during the operation to apprehend the suspects, who, he said, remained in custody as the matter was before the court.
Turning to politics, Umahi expressed confidence that the South-East would support Tinubu in 2027, arguing that the region had benefited from the administration’s infrastructure development programme. He said the South-East had previously felt marginalised under the past administration, contributing to Obi’s strong showing in the region during the 2023 presidential election.
However, he maintained that Tinubu’s appointments and infrastructure projects had changed the political situation, urging residents of the region to recognise what he described as the administration’s improved treatment of the South-East.
Umahi also criticised supporters of Obi who attack South-East politicians backing Tinubu, arguing that such conduct undermines political pluralism and the region’s broader interests.
He said the emergence of a South-East president should be pursued through consultations and negotiations with other regions rather than insults or divisive rhetoric.
The minister questioned whether there had been sufficient consultations among South-East leaders before Obi emerged as a presidential candidate in 2027, arguing that governors and other influential stakeholders should have been involved in discussions about the region’s political strategy.
On reports that 4,000 social media influencers would be engaged to promote government projects, Umahi clarified that he was personally funding the initiative rather than using public funds.
He said the influencers were being engaged to publicise his work as minister and the projects being undertaken by the Tinubu administration, insisting that he believed in the government’s performance.
Umahi also defended the removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of foreign exchange rates, describing the policies as necessary reforms to address corruption and improve revenue distribution to federal, state and local governments.
He argued that the previous subsidy regime and disparities between official and parallel foreign exchange rates had created opportunities for corruption and enriched a privileged few.
The minister disagreed with Obi’s position that subsidy payments could be restored if corruption in the system were eliminated, questioning whether the former Anambra governor fully appreciated the challenges involved in fighting corruption in Nigeria.
He also challenged Obi’s record as governor, asking critics to assess the state’s performance in poverty reduction, road construction, education and healthcare during his tenure.
On whether his persistent criticism of Obi was motivated by a presidential ambition, Umahi declined to give a direct answer, saying it would be disloyal to discuss challenging his principal while Tinubu remained in office. He added that if he decided to pursue the presidency after Tinubu’s tenure, he would first discuss his intention with the president and resign if necessary.
Umahi rejected suggestions that his political position amounted to a betrayal of the South-East, insisting that he believed in a united Nigeria where political support should not be dictated by ethnic or regional considerations.
Speaking on his legacy, the minister said he hoped to be remembered for the roads he constructed, the people he helped, the causes he supported and his efforts to integrate the South-East more fully into the Nigerian federation.
He also commented on his son’s emergence as chairman of their local government area, saying he would prefer his children not to pursue politics but acknowledging that they had their own destinies to fulfil.
