Umahi’s accuser Tracy Ohiri explains acceptance of N110m settlement: ‘Those who should deliver justice have had houses built for them’
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Barely 72 hours after businesswoman Tracy Ohiri retracted her earlier allegation of unpaid contract claims against the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, she has made a stunning U-turn, admitting she dropped the fight because she was up against powerful forces.
Recall that Tracy Ohiri had accused Umahi of refusing to pay a debt dating back to 2014—originally claimed as about N25 million, which she now says equates to N250 million in today’s value—for campaign materials she supplied for his governorship bid.
The allegations led to her arrest by the police and prosecution for cyberbullying. It required the combined efforts of human rights activist Omoyele Sowore—who stood surety for her—and several other activists, including the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, to prevent her imprisonment amid delays in perfecting her bail.
Last week, Ohiri released a video statement withdrawing the allegations against Umahi and tendering an apology to him for the embarrassment caused to him and his family. She stated that the minister might not have been aware of the materials supplied, as she dealt with his aides.
“My family has decided to move on from this matter, and we ask the public to respect our decision,” she said.
Following backlash from Nigerians over the retraction, Tracy Ohiri issued a fresh apology, explaining that she accepted N110 million as a settlement because it was a battle she could not win.
She said: “Please, Nigerians, forgive me. If Nigeria were a working country, everybody’s voice would count. Am I supposed to be fighting people who will use taxpayers’ money to fight me back? Am I supposed to use my business capital—the money I need to manage my life and that of my family—to fight someone in power? And at the end of the day, I might still not get justice because even the people who are supposed to deliver justice have had houses built for them. I had to look at what was going on, the corruption staring me in the face, and I had to accept an offer that shouldn’t have been necessary in the first place.”
