Mary Habila, a young nurse on secondment from a federal teaching hospital named after him, was found unconscious on June 27th in a building owned by the Minister of Works, David Umahi. According to eyewitness accounts, she was naked, blood was oozing from her nose and mouth and she died en route to the hospital. The Minister remained silent when this scandal first hit the headlines. The Minister said not a single word publicly while lurid rumours and salacious speculations circulated in cyberspace and on terra firma.
Meanwhile, another terrible tale about Umahi resurfaced: Apparently, when he was governor of Ebonyi State, 5 engineers went missing after he had threatened one of them following a dispute about their project.
While he was being portrayed by some commentators as a serial killer who should be immediately sacked by Tinubu, arrested and be compelled to face a murder charge, the Minister’s lips stayed firmly sealed.
Finally, nearly 3 weeks after Mary’s death had made him an object of intense nationwide suspicions, the Minister decided to talk; and his statement was a masterclass in how NOT to address concerned citizens when a very dark shadow is hovering over your reputation.
He did say that Mary was like a daughter to him. But he didn’t sound like a grieving father figure. He responded coldly and angrily.
He expressed annoyance about “devils” defaming him and “using her death to create content”. He said he didn’t see why he was being accused of secretiveness. He didn’t look sad or sorry. He didn’t look embarrassed or worried or apologetic or tired like someone who has been through a lot of emotional stress. He didn’t offer warm condolences, not publicly at least, to Mary’s family and friends.
So a human being in her prime dies on your property and you don’t feel obliged to comment on this tragedy for 3 weeks? Then you have the audacity to blame people who jumped to negative conclusions because of your arrogant, stubborn, defiant, imperial silence!
Even if you had no hand in Mary’s demise, you don’t think that a married man of your advanced age should explain why an attractive female government health worker in her 20s was seconded to your home and accommodated there? You have yet to tell us what sickness you have that necessitated such special, in-house medical support.
Even if Mary was indeed like a daughter to him and nothing more than a professional with health-monitoring responsibilities, appearances matter A LOT for a man who holds high office in a world that has a penchant for generating scurrilous gossip; and I think it is fair to ask whether there were no competent males who could do the job if an elderly male VIP needed a nurse on standby in his compound?
Ah well. At least Umahi said one good thing, at the time of his maiden statement on this matter: He informed us that he was insisting on an autopsy because he was keen to discover the cause of death.
Mary’s real father then said that he didn’t want the autopsy. Some suspected that he had been paid off or intimidated and that the Minister was just pretending to want the autopsy.
Others said he was sincerely opposed to it for cultural reasons. And if this is the case, I totally understand why families don’t like the idea of their nearest and dearest being cut open post-mortem.
But this is the 2lst century and Mary does not belong to her family or her culture in every sense of the word “belong”. The cause of her mysterious death needs to be ascertained, so that the perpetrator can be punished if foul play is uncovered. And I hope the investigation will be conducted by honest experts.
In the meantime, Umahi continues to do himself no favours on the image front.
On Tuesday, the Southern Kaduna Peoples United Associations (SOKAPU) has alleged that he threatened its National President, Engineer Tabara Samuel Kato, following the group announcing its intention to find out, through legal means, what happened to Mary.
At an emergency press conference, SOKAPU claimed that Umahi called Kato and said: “I am David Umahi, the Honourable Minister of Works. I saw your suit against me, you need money right? I will teach you a lesson of your life such that you will learn never to mess with person like me. I will give you 10 lawsuits. People are mourning and there you are taking me to court. I will deal with you!” Na wa for Umahi!
Even if he is innocent, he is coming across really badly. Is it that he doesn’t have competent media advisors who can help him communicate less unpleasantly or speak on his behalf?
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