Umahi in the Eye of the Storm

Without prejudice to the outcome of the court cases involving the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, Ejiofor Alike writes that the minister has courted controversies that have threatened his integrity, Ejiofor Alike reports 

Despite shrugging off the allegations against him at recent official engagements, the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, is facing the task of maintaining his integrity that is being threatened by these allegations hanging on his neck.

The minister is in court to clear his name, which has been trending negatively online following the weighty allegations levelled against him by many Nigerians.

The most embarrassing allegation was made by a businesswoman, Mrs. Tracyniter Nicholas Ohiri, who accused the minister of sexual harassment, intimidation, unlawful detention and refusal to pay for campaign promotional materials she claimed to have supplied.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, the woman claimed that she was contracted by Umahi to produce corporate gift items for campaign purposes.

She alleged that during one of her business trips to Ebonyi State, Umahi entered her hotel room inappropriately dressed and made advances towards her.

She claimed that the hotel belongs to Umahi.

“He tied a towel around his waist and came into my room, disturbing me,” she alleged.

She stated that she fled to a staff member’s room where she spent the night.

Ohiri alleged that the campaign items were delivered to the minister’s residence in the presence of his family members and staff.

However, she insisted that she was neither reimbursed for logistics nor paid for the goods supplied.

According to her, after waiting for one year and eight months following the election period, she began demanding payment of the initial N25.4million debt, which she said had accumulated to N304million with interest.

She stated that each time she demanded payment, the minister made repeated personal advances towards her, which she rejected.

“I told him to focus on paying me my money and stop asking me out,” she said, alleging that her refusal led to hostility and threatening messages.

Ohiri alleged that following a social media outcry over the matter, security operatives arrested her at her residence and transported her to Abuja where she was arraigned on a defamation charge

A magistrate in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja granted her bail to the tune of N1 million with two sureties.

The allegation sparked viral videos and confrontations, including footage of ex-presidential candidate and activist, Mr. Omoyele Sowore publicly confronting Umahi after reports emerged that the police were planning to re-arrest Ohiri after she was granted bail.

The accusations and counter-accusations between the minister and Ohiri have taken a new dimension as Umahi’s media office has claimed that his accuser has deleted all the videos of the accusations.

The minister’s media office added that the materials, which had been shared across TikTok, Instagram and Facebook over the years, were no longer visible on her pages.

Umahi’s Senior Special Assistant, Mr. Francis Nwaeze, said in a statement that the deletions followed what he described as the public exposure of inconsistencies and discrepancies in Ohiri’s claims.

“Faced with contradictions in her own narratives, she appears to have chosen deletion over explanation. These actions raise serious questions about the intent behind the allegations she promoted for years,” he added.

Umahi had also dismissed Ohiri’s allegations, saying his record in public office should speak for him

The minister said he was not worried about what was being said online

“So, what you read in social media, I’m not worried about it. It makes me stronger, and I have fought many battles, so this is nothing,” he said.

Umahi referenced Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, while responding to insinuations that he made sexual advances at Ohiri.

As indecent as his comments were, the minister said: “There’s nothing wrong to say, ‘oh, you are chasing a woman,” he said.

“But if it is Natasha that is accusing me of chasing her, then my face will be bolder.

“But not any how person that will accuse this handsome man of chasing him for 12 years. That person must be the Queen of England,” he added.

In a video that has since gone viral, a man who identified himself as Chief Obinna has also accused Umahi of being indebted to him to the tune of N7million for a job he did for Umahi in the minister’s hotel at Abakaliki.

The man who claimed that he was Umahi’s classmate, gave the name of the hotel as Osborne La Palm.

He alleged that Umahi treated him poorly, despite the fact that they were classmates at Government Secondary School, Afikpo.

“Everybody was aware when I was engaged in that small contract job. But my experiences with Dave Umahi and his people left a very sad taste in my mouth.

“I don’t even want to drag him because if I drag him, my own will be different from this other woman he is having problem with.

“Dave Umahi is not a good person because, not minding the fact he was my classmate at Government Secondary School Afikpo, he treated me badly. I don’t want to expose him further. But let it be on record that he is still owing me N7million and I need that money. I will soon go for him; I will report myself to the police any moment from now,” the man claimed.

Neither the minister nor his media office has responded to the man’s allegation.

The Chief Executive Officer of Winhomes Global Services Limited, Dr. Stella Okengwu, who is based in the United States, had also accused the minister of abusing his position with unlawful demolitions, defamation and unlawful acquisition of her property along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

Okengwu had petitioned President Tinubu over what she described as the “reckless and damaging conduct” of Umahi.

She alleged that the minister’s conduct and utterances with respect to the demolition of her estate were capable of scaring away genuine investors

In another petition dated October 14, 2024, and addressed to Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Hon Akin Alabi, a group of aggrieved Nigerian expatriates accused Umahi of corruption, abuse of power, and deliberate actions intended to sabotage diaspora investments in the Nigerian economy.

In a video that went viral, Umahi was seen boasting that he ordered the acquisition of the woman’s land because she became “troublesome” and challenged him.

“Before, I didn’t want to take the woman’s remaining land, but when she started making trouble, I said they should go and acquire the land. Na me do am (I did it),” Umahi boasted, exonerating President Tinubu whose name was allegedly used in illegal seizure of people’s lands.

 Umahi’s conduct has been widely condemned, with critics accusing him of using his position as works minister to engage in illegal land grabbing, and intimidation of his victims.

Though these allegations against Umahi have not been proved and are subjects of litigation in various courts, the minister should watch his conduct and utterances so as not to constitute an embarrassment to President Tinubu’s administration.