Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has responded to allegations of sexual harassment made by a woman identified as Tracy Nither Ohiri.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday, Umahi dismissed the claims, describing them as baseless and driven by social media narratives. He was reacting to critics who accused him of allegedly refusing to pay a woman for services rendered because she rejected his purported advances.
Umahi maintained that he does not owe anyone and insisted that throughout his years in public service, no such accusations had been made against him.
“I want to thank a lot of you who know me very well. I owe nobody. And of course, I presided over both men and women, and nobody ever said I harassed him or her,” he said.
The former governor of Ebonyi State also referenced Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, stating that if such an allegation had come from the Kogi Central senator, it would carry more weight.
“I owe nobody. If it’s Senator Natasha that said I’m chasing her, my face would be bolder, not anyhow person that’ll accuse this handsome man of chasing her for 12 years,” he added.
Umahi further urged Nigerians to focus on global developments, particularly the ongoing tensions involving Iran, rather than what he described as distractions.
“It’s just for social media, but I think we can turn our attention to the war in Iran and allow Umahi to rest,” he said.
The allegation and the minister’s response have since generated debate online.
