Minister of Works, David Umahi, has revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ignored calls for his dismissal following the death of Mary Habila, a nurse attached to his medical team, and instead encouraged him to remain focused on delivering infrastructure projects across the country.
Umahi made the disclosure in a video that surfaced on social media while reflecting on the controversy surrounding Habila’s death, which sparked public reactions and demands for a thorough investigation.
Mary Habila died on June 27 at the minister’s residence in Ebonyi State, an incident that generated widespread concern and raised questions about the circumstances surrounding her death.
As the controversy grew, the Incorporated Trustees of the Southern Kaduna Peoples’ United Associations (SOKAPU) filed a ₦20 billion lawsuit against the minister, alleging a breach of duty of care while Habila was under his custody.
Speaking on the matter, Umahi said some individuals attempted to use the incident to pressure President Tinubu into removing him from office, but the President declined.
“Power and might don’t belong to social media; they belong to God,” Umahi said.
He added:
“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.’”
Umahi Says He Was Deeply Affected
The minister described Habila’s death as a heartbreaking experience, saying it affected him so much that he cancelled plans to celebrate his recent birthday.
According to him, he instructed his supporters across the world not to organise any celebration because he was still mourning.
“I was mourning,” Umahi said.
He also declared that if he or any member of his family had any involvement in Habila’s death, they should face an even worse fate.
“If I or any member of my family had any hand in her death, may our own end be worse than hers,” he stated.
Autopsy Request Rejected by Family
Following the incident, Umahi said he directed the Ebonyi State Police Command to conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause of Habila’s death.
He also instructed that her body should not be released until the post-mortem examination was completed.
However, Habila’s family reportedly rejected the request, insisting that no autopsy should be carried out and demanding that she be buried according to their wishes.
The circumstances surrounding her death have continued to attract public attention, while investigations into the incident remain a subject of interest.
