Minister of Works David Umahi has said President Bola Tinubu ignored calls for his removal following the death of Mary Habila, a nurse who was part of his medical team in Ebonyi State.
Habila died on June 27 while working with the minister’s medical team, an incident that generated public concern and demands for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
The controversy later led the Incorporated Trustees of the Southern Kaduna Peoples’ United Associations (SOKAPU) to file a N20 billion lawsuit against Umahi, alleging a breach of duty of care while Habila was under his custody.
Speaking in a video shared on X on Monday, Umahi said some Nigerians called on the president to sack him over the incident, but Tinubu chose not to remove him.
According to the minister, the president instead directed him to focus on delivering more road projects across the country.
“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 said he remained deeply affected by Habila’s death and cancelled plans for any birthday celebration by his supporters in honour of the deceased, saying he was still mourning.
He also offered a prayer that if he or any member of his family was responsible for Habila’s death, they would face a similar fate.
Following the incident, Umahi had requested an autopsy by the Ebonyi State Police Command to determine the cause and circumstances of Habila’s death.
He also asked that her remains should not be released to the family until the post-mortem examination was completed.
However, Habila’s family opposed the request, stating that they did not want an autopsy and preferred to proceed with burial arrangements according to their wishes.
