Minister of Works David Umahi recently shared that President Bola Tinubu refused to remove him from his position despite public pressure following the death of Mary Habila, a nurse on his medical staff. The President reportedly encouraged Umahi to concentrate on his infrastructure responsibilities instead. The incident occurred on June 27 at Umahi’s Ebonyi State home, leading to significant public scrutiny and a 20 billion naira lawsuit filed by the Southern Kaduna Peoples’ United Associations against the minister.
Umahi remarked that while some utilized the tragedy for political gain, he turned to his faith for support. He stated that the President’s response to the calls for his dismissal was to instruct him to continue with road construction projects. The minister expressed deep personal grief over the loss of the nurse, noting that he cancelled his birthday celebrations to mourn her passing. He also firmly denied any wrongdoing, stating that he requested an autopsy from the Ebonyi State Police Command to determine the cause of death. Although the minister sought to withhold the body until the investigation concluded, the family refused the autopsy and requested to bury her according to their own traditions.
