Minister of Works, David Umahi, has said President Bola Tinubu instructed him to remain focused on delivering road projects despite public calls for his dismissal following the death of a staff member at his residence.
Speaking in a video circulating on social media, Umahi said the President ignored pressure from critics and instead encouraged him to continue his infrastructure mandate.
‘Go and Build More Roads’
According to Umahi, some individuals attempted to politicise the death of one of his staff members and demanded that President Tinubu remove him from office.
“Power and might doesn’t belong to social media, it belongs to God. 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,'” he said.
Umahi described the President’s response as a vote of confidence in his work and a reminder that public office should not be driven by social media pressure.
Background to the Controversy
The minister’s comments relate to the death of Mary Habila, a medical worker who died on June 27, 2026, in a staff building within Umahi’s residence compound in Uburu, Ebonyi State.
The incident sparked public debate and prompted calls from some groups for an independent investigation, with others demanding the minister’s resignation.
Umahi has consistently denied any wrongdoing, insisting that Habila was a staff member assigned to a medical team attached to the Federal Ministry of Works and not a personal guest.
He also said emergency medical procedures were initiated immediately, the police were notified, and a forensic autopsy was requested to determine the cause of death.
Focus on Infrastructure
The minister reaffirmed his commitment to the Tinubu administration’s road infrastructure programme, saying his priority remains delivering durable federal highways across the country.
Umahi has repeatedly defended the ministry’s adoption of reinforced concrete pavement for major road projects, arguing that the approach will provide longer-lasting infrastructure under the Renewed Hope agenda.
