MINISTER of Works, David Umahi, has revealed that President Bola Tinubu ignored calls for his removal following the death of Mary Habila, a nurse attached to his medical team, saying the President instead directed him to remain focused on delivering infrastructure projects across the country.
News Point Nigeria reports that Habila died on June 27 while attached to Umahi’s medical team at his residence in Ebonyi State, sparking widespread public interest and calls from some Nigerians for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
As public outrage intensified, the Incorporated Trustees of the Southern Kaduna Peoples’ United Associations (SOKAPU) instituted a N20 billion lawsuit against the minister, alleging a breach of duty of care while the deceased was under his custody.
Speaking in a video that circulated on X on Monday, Umahi disclosed that many people had urged President Tinubu to sack him over the incident, but the President declined the calls.
According to the minister, Tinubu instead encouraged him to remain committed to his responsibilities by delivering more infrastructure projects for Nigerians.
“Power and might don’t belong to social media, it belongs 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.’”
Umahi also expressed deep sorrow over Habila’s death, revealing that, out of respect for the deceased, he instructed all his supporters across the world not to organise any celebration for his recent birthday because he was in mourning.
The minister further prayed that if he or any member of his family had any involvement in Habila’s death, their own end should be worse than hers.
Following the incident, Umahi requested the Ebonyi State Police Command to conduct an autopsy on Habila’s body to establish the actual cause and circumstances surrounding her death.
He also directed that the police should not release the body to the family until the post-mortem examination had been concluded.
However, Habila’s family rejected the request, insisting that they did not want an autopsy carried out and preferred that she be buried in accordance with their wishes.
