Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has revealed that President Bola Tinubu rejected calls for his dismissal following the controversial death of one of his staff members, saying the President instead urged him to remain focused on his responsibilities.

Speaking during a recent public event, Umahi said the death of the staff member, believed to be Mary Habila, became the subject of political attacks, with some individuals allegedly calling on President Tinubu to remove him from office.

According to the minister, the President dismissed those demands and encouraged him to continue delivering on infrastructure projects.
“People said the President should sack me. Why should he sack me? For doing what? Because somebody working with me died, then I must be sacked?” Umahi said.
He added that President Tinubu’s response surprised his critics.
“He told me, ‘Dave, go and build more roads,'” the minister stated.

Umahi also said the death of the staff member, coupled with the loss of one of his uncles who reportedly collapsed after watching a football match, prompted him to cancel celebrations for his birthday out of respect for the deceased.

He accused some people of attempting to exploit the incident for political gain and offered what he described as a prayer over the controversy.
“My prayer is that if any member of my family or I had any hand in it, let our own fate be worse,” he said. “But for those who want to profit from it and play politics with it, if what they are saying is true, let it be well with them. Otherwise, the fate that befell the young lady will be worse for them.”

The circumstances surrounding the death of Mary Habila have remained the subject of public scrutiny since she died on June 27, 2026, at Umahi’s residence in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Following reports on the incident, Umahi confirmed that Habila died at his residence. He initially described her as a physiotherapist seconded from the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS) to the Federal Ministry of Works and said he requested a forensic autopsy to determine the cause of her death.

However, that claim was later challenged after the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy (NSP) stated that Habila was not registered as a licensed physiotherapist. Subsequent reports identified her as a Community Health Extension Worker (CHEW).

The investigation also became contentious over the proposed forensic autopsy. Habila’s family initially resisted the examination and demanded the release of her body for burial before later agreeing to the procedure on the condition that the case be transferred from the Ebonyi State Police Command to the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The Nigeria Police Force subsequently assumed responsibility for the investigation, while Habila’s body was moved to the National Hospital in Abuja for a forensic autopsy.

The outcome of the investigation is still being awaited as calls continue for a transparent and independent probe into the circumstances surrounding her death.