Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has revealed that President Bola Tinubu rejected calls for his dismissal following the death of a nurse at his private residence in Ebonyi State.
Mary Habila died on June 27 while serving as part of the minister’s medical team, prompting public outcry and legal action from a socio-cultural group representing her home region.
Speaking in a video circulating on social media on Monday, Umahi stated that critics had attempted to exploit the tragedy politically by urging the president to remove him from office.
“Power and might don’t belong to social media; they belong to God,” Umahi said. “When people took the death of one of my staff and started playing politics with it, they said the president should sack me, but the president surprised all of them and said, ‘Dave, go and build more roads.'”
Legal battle and autopsy controversy
The incident triggered widespread debate, culminating in a 20 billion naira ($13m) lawsuit filed against the minister by the Southern Kaduna Peoples’ United Associations (SOKAPU), alleging a breach of duty of care.
Addressing the circumstances around the incident, Umahi said:
- Personal Grief: He cancelled his recent birthday celebrations globally out of respect for the deceased, stating he remained in mourning.
- Denial of Involvement: The minister denied any wrongdoing, declaring that if he or his family had any involvement in the death, their own end should be far worse.
- Autopsy Dispute: Umahi requested the Ebonyi State Police Command conduct a full post-mortem to determine the cause of death. However, Habila’s family rejected the autopsy request, demanding the release of her body for immediate burial according to their wishes.
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