The Minister of Works, His Excellency, Senator Engr. David Umahi, on Saturday February 28, 2026, during an inspection tour of major infrastructure projects in the South East, addressed allegations circulating on social media by Tracy Nither Ohiri.
Rejecting the claims, the Minister pointed to his long record in public service and leadership.
“I want to thank a lot of you who know me very well. As party chairman, I owe nobody and of course I presided over both men and women, and nobody ever said I harassed him/her or I owe him/her.”
Reflecting on his years in executive office, he added:
“I was deputy governor, governor for eight years, and I did fantastic in infrastructure. So nobody could come and say he’s been owed unless the person is being mischievous.”
Addressing the online spread of the claims, the Minister showed neither anger nor defensiveness, describing such moments as familiar territory in public office.
“So what you read in social media, I’m not worried about it, It makes me stronger, and I’ve fought many battles, so this is nothing.”
In a lighter moment that drew laughter from those present, Umahi used humour to underline what he described as the implausibility of the allegations.
“There’s nothing wrong to say, oh, you, are chasing a woman but not anyhow person that will accuse this handsome man of chasing her for twelve years. That person must be the Queen of England. So, it’s just to make social media to be alive.”
Beneath the humour, however, the message was clear: distractions will not divert his attention from national responsibility.
“But I think we can turn in our attention to the war in Iran now and then allow David Umahi to focus on his job.”
Meanwhile, in another development, the Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, has bagged the Silverbird Group Extraordinary Personality of the Year award, which was conferred on him on Sunday, March 1, 2026, at Eko Hotels & Suites, Lagos.
The award ceremony, organised by Silverbird Group, brought together top government officials, lawmakers, technocrats, and stakeholders from across the country, all drawn by a shared recognition of a minister whose tenure has come to symbolise scale, speed, and ambition in Nigeria’s infrastructure drive.
Speaking at the event on behalf of the Minister of Works, the Minister of State (Works), Barr. Bello Muhammad Goronyo, described the honour as a deserved recognition of visible performance and hard choices taken in the national interest.
“We cannot but register our sincere gratitude and appreciation for this award for identifying our own, the Honourable Minister of Works, HE Senator Engr. David Umahi, CON, for the works he has been doing in this country.”
Goronyo told the audience that Umahi’s impact since assuming office has been defined by experience-driven leadership and the deployment of innovative construction technologies to solve long-standing infrastructure challenges.
“This man brought to bear lots of experience, skills, and innovative technologies in the road construction industry.”
He pointed to landmark achievements in road construction, anchored on four legacy projects now reshaping national connectivity. These include the 750km Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, the 1,068km Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, the Transhara corridor stretching from Calabar through Ebonyi and Benue to Abuja, and the 420km Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Borno corridor. According to him, these projects, alongside accelerated roads and bridges construction across the six geopolitical zones, have redefined expectations of what is possible within a single administration.
Goronyo was emphatic that these gains did not occur in isolation, attributing the momentum to the infrastructure-first posture of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“We have to say that all these achievements are recorded because of our president, HE Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.”
In a symbolic gesture that drew applause, he disclosed that the Minister of Works had directed that the award be dedicated to the President and to the collective effort behind the projects.
“The minister has mandated me to dedicate the award to HE Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR for the support, for all he has been doing, for prioritizing infrastructure as key, and to dedicate the award also to our team, the Ministry of Works, the management as well as the contractors.”
He added that within the Ministry, the recognition serves as renewed motivation rather than a moment of rest.
“For us in the Ministry of Works, it’s another feather for us to continue to fly and work hard so that Nigeria will reach the desires and aspirations of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
On its part, Silverbird Group noted that since Umahi took charge as Minister of Works, the Ministry is currently managing 2,065 ongoing projects across the country. The organisers observed that his mission has remained clear and consistent: fix existing roads, build new ones, and ensure they stand the test of time. According to them, the scale and intent of the legacy projects alone speak volumes about his leadership.