Tarcy Ohiri, a Nigerian businesswoman, has formally retracted her earlier allegations of sexual harassment and unpaid contract claims against Dave Umahi, the Minister of Works.
In a video statement released on Wednesday, Ohiri explained that she decided to withdraw the allegations after consulting with her family, friends, and legal team, as well as reviewing events from the past two weeks.
“I admit that Engineer Dave Umahi, the former governor of Ebonyi State and the current Minister of Works, did not inform me that what happened to the Neyland engineers would happen to me if I visited Ebonyi State,” she said.
Ohiri clarified that she does not personally know the Neyland engineers and only learned of them through online reports and third-party information. She also issued an apology to Umahi, his family, and others affected by the controversy.
“I apologise to Engineer Dave Umahi for the embarrassment this allegation may have caused him and his family. I sincerely apologise to his family, to my own family, friends, and everyone who felt caught and embarrassed with what happened,” she stated.
On the more sensational claims, Ohiri emphasized that she never alleged that the minister met her in a hotel room with a towel tied around his waist. “I apologise if the allegations have been magnified and taken out of context,” she added.
Regarding the unpaid contract claim, she acknowledged that there was no formally signed agreement between her and Umahi. “Although the job was done and delivered to his aides, they might have used the material for campaign purposes without informing him, and without him knowing about it,” she said.
She concluded by stating that her family has decided to move on and requested that the public respect their decision.
The retraction follows widespread online discussion of Ohiri’s earlier allegations, which Umahi had dismissed as mischievous and politically motivated.
