Businesswoman retracts sexual harassment allegation against Umahi, apologises

A businesswoman, Tarcy Ohiri, has retracted her earlier allegations of sexual harassment and unpaid contract claims against the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi.

In a video statement released on Wednesday, Ohiri said she decided to withdraw the allegations after consultations with her family, friends and legal team, as well as a review of events surrounding the matter in 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 visit Ebonyi State,” she said.

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

She also apologised to Umahi 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.

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

Ohiri further clarified that she never claimed 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.

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

“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.”

The retraction comes days after Ohiri’s earlier allegations sparked widespread discussion online and drew a strong response from Umahi, who dismissed the claims as mischievous and politically motivated.