Ohiri retracts allegations against Umahi after two weeks of controversy

By Lawrence Agbo

A businesswoman, Tarcy Ohiri, has retracted her earlier allegations of sexual harassment and unpaid contract claims against the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, bringing an end to a controversy that trailed the claims for nearly two weeks.

In a video message made public on Wednesday, Ohiri stated that after analysing the circumstances surrounding the case and speaking with her family, friends, and legal team, she made the decision to drop the accusations.

She clarified that the former governor of Ebonyi State did not threaten her with any form of reprisal should she visit the state.

“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 visit Ebonyi State,” she said.

Ohiri added that she does not personally know the Neyland engineers and only became aware of them through online reports and information shared by others.

She also apologised to the minister over the controversy generated by the allegations.

“I apologise to Engineer Dave Umahi for the embarrassment this allegation may have caused him and his family,” she said, extending the apology to her own family, friends and others who felt affected by the situation.

“I sincerely apologise to his family, to my own family, friends and everyone who felt caught and embarrassed with what happened.”

The businesswoman further clarified that she never claimed the minister met her in a hotel room with a towel tied around his waist, noting that some aspects of the allegations may have been magnified or taken out of context.

Addressing the issue of an alleged unpaid contract, Ohiri acknowledged that there was no formally signed agreement between her and the minister.

According to her, although the job was completed and delivered to some of Umahi’s aides, the materials might have been used for campaign purposes without the minister’s knowledge.

“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.

“My family has decided to move on from this matter and we ask the public to respect our decision,” she added.

The retraction comes days after initial sexual allegations against Ohiri sparked widespread debate on social media and drew a strong response from Umahi, who had earlier dismissed the claims as mischievous and politically motivated.