The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has dismissed calls for his removal from office following the death of a female staff member at his private residence, saying President Bola Tinubu instead urged him to remain focused on delivering infrastructure projects.
Umahi made the remarks in a video that circulated on X on Monday while responding to criticism that followed the death of Mary Habila, a staff member attached to the Federal Ministry of Works. Habila died in June, sparking widespread reactions and calls for accountability on social media.
According to the minister, some individuals attempted to politicise the incident by demanding his dismissal.
“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 said President Tinubu’s response reinforced his resolve to remain focused on his responsibilities despite the criticism.
The minister, however, did not comment on the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death.
Habila’s death has remained a subject of public interest since it occurred, with many Nigerians calling for transparency and accountability as authorities continue their investigation.
As of Monday, security agencies had yet to publicly announce the outcome of investigations into the incident.
Watch the video below:
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Credit: TikTok | rekitich
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