ABUJA — The Ministry of Works has officially pulled the plug on rumors of a secret settlement with Mrs. Tracy Ohiri, with Minister David Umahi’s camp insisting that “well-meaning Nigerians”—not the government—were the ones dangling a massive N1 billion carrot. In a stinging “setting the record straight” memo released Saturday, the Minister’s team claimed that while the billion-naira olive branch was real, it was strictly conditional on Ohiri proving her case with hard evidence.
According to the Minister’s media aide, Francis Nwaze, the N1 billion wasn’t a payout from the Minister’s pocket but a potential contribution from “friends and associates” that would only be triggered if Ohiri could produce verified communication logs to back her claims. “The Minister is still waiting,” the statement read, adding that since no evidence has surfaced, the legal team has been ordered to “proceed with all court processes” to bury the matter once and for all.
However, the “private donors” narrative has triggered a firestorm of criticism, highlighting Senator Umahi’s growing struggle to manage his public integrity. While the Minister positions himself as a transparent public servant, critics argue that the mere mention of a N1 billion “donation” from anonymous friends is a massive red flag that blurs the lines between private interests and public office.
“Since when did ‘well-meaning Nigerians’ just have a billion naira lying around to settle a Minister’s personal legal drama?” asked one Abuja-based civil society activist. “If the Minister is innocent, why is there even a conversation about a billion naira? This looks less like a settlement and more like a flex of ‘big man’ politics that regular Nigerians can’t relate to.”
On social media, the backlash was even sharper. Many pointed out the irony of a Minister of Works—overseeing a country with crumbling infrastructure and a biting cost-of-living crisis—being associated with such a staggering sum for a “private matter.” The optics have been described as a “PR nightmare” for an official already navigating the high-pressure world of federal infrastructure.
“We are told there’s no money for subsidies or better wages, but ‘friends of the Minister’ can cough up N1 billion for a dispute with a woman? The optics are terrible,” posted one user in a viral thread. For many Nigerians, this isn’t just about a legal dispute anymore; it’s a question of whether a high-ranking official can maintain a clean image when “mystery billionaires” are reportedly standing by to solve his personal problems.
While Umahi’s team insists he remains “fully committed to his mandate” of fixing Nigeria’s roads, the public isn’t looking at the asphalt. They’re looking at the money. With the Minister now vowing to let the courts decide, the pressure is on Mrs. Ohiri to provide the “logs”—and on the Minister to prove that his public integrity isn’t being auctioned off to the highest “well-meaning” bidder.
