Umahi Is Owing Me N7Million, I’ll Soon Go After Him’ — Man Accuses Tinubu’s Minister Of Failing To Pay For Hotel Contract In Ebonyi
‘Umahi Is Owing Me N7Million, I’ll Soon Go After Him’ — Man Accuses Tinubu’s Minister Of Failing To Pay For Hotel Contract In Ebonyi
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, Chief Obinna alleged that the unpaid sum relates to work carried out at Osborn La Palma Hotel, located in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
Aman identified as Chief Obinna has publicly accused the Minister of Works, David Umahi, of owing him N7million for a contract job allegedly executed at a hotel belonging to the minister in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
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In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, Chief Obinna alleged that the unpaid sum relates to work carried out at Osborn La Palma Hotel, located in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
The visibly upset Obinna, who claimed to have a longstanding personal relationship with the minister dating back to their secondary school days, accused Umahi of “indebtedness” and threatened to take further action if the debt is not settled.
According to him, “I am Chief Obinna, the man that is also accusing the Honourable Minister of Works, Engineer Dave Umahi, of indebtedness to the tune of 7 million naira for a job that was done for him in his hotel at Abakaliki, Osborne, La Palma.
“Everybody was aware when I was engaged in that small contract job. But my experiences with Dave Umahi and his people left a very sad taste in my mouth that I don’t even want to drag him.”
Obinna alleged that despite their past relationship as classmates at Government Secondary School, he was treated unfairly.
“Because if I drag him, my own will be different from this other woman he’s having problems with. Dave Umahi is not a good person because, not minding the fact that he was my classmate in Government Secondary School, he treated me badly. I don’t want to expose him further,” he said.
The contractor insisted that the outstanding N7million remains unpaid and warned that he would soon escalate the matter.
“But let it be on record that he is still owing me 7 million naira and I need that money. I’ll soon go for him. I will report myself to the police immediately from now.
“Bye. And thank you guys for your support.”
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that Dr. Jackie Ikeotuonye, Chief Executive Officer of Andrew Bishopton Limited, the consultancy firm that helped Ebonyi State identify and reconcile $119,419,427.59 in over-deductions from its foreign loan servicing account, accused Umahi of alleged betrayal, intimidation, and abuse of state power.
Umahi is currently Nigeria’s Minister of Works.
Ikeotuonye alleged that she was abducted by armed police officers from her Abuja residence and transported to Abakaliki after securing a court judgment over consultancy fees tied to the recovery of $119,419,427.59 for the state.
In an exclusive interview with SaharaReporters on Tuesday, Ikeotuonye detailed how her firm was appointed in 2015 by the Ebonyi State Government to reconcile and recover excess deductions on foreign and local loan facilities, work that ultimately led to the identification of over $119 million in alleged wrongful deductions from the state’s foreign loan servicing account.
But what began as a celebrated recovery effort, she said, spiralled into hostility, contract termination, threats, arrest, and what she described as an attempt to coerce her into withdrawing a valid court judgment.
According to Ikeotuonye, Andrew Bishopton Limited was formally appointed on October 6, 2015, as consultant to Ebonyi State Government. The letter of appointment was signed by then Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Dr. Dennis Ude Ekumankama.
“On October 6, 2015, the company was formally appointed by the Ebonyi State Government as a consultant to recover excess deductions and charges on foreign and local loan facilities, as well as other outstanding funds due to the state,” she said.
A Consultancy Services Agreement was subsequently executed on November 17, 2015. Under the agreement, the company was entitled to 25 percent of all sums reconciled, recovered and paid into the state’s account by the Federal Government.
Umahi himself, in a letter dated December 11, 2015, obtained by SaharaReporters, addressed to the then Minister of Finance, acknowledged Andrew Bishopton Limited as consultants engaged to search, identify and recover any unknown sum of money accrued to the state and arising from transactions on foreign and local loans.
In that letter, Umahi wrote: “Pursuant to their appointment, the consultants have embarked on the exercise and have identified the sum of $119,419,427.28 being the amount wrongly deducted from the Ebonyi State foreign loan repayment schedule between June 1995 and March 2002.”
He added: “Consequent upon the foregoing, it is our prayer that the Honourable Minister would graciously intervene into this matter by facilitating the quick refund of the sum of $119,419,427.28 accrued to Ebonyi State from the wrong deductions made against her in the course of repaying foreign loans.”
Ikeotuonye told SaharaReporters that the assignment commenced without any mobilisation fee.
“The governor expressly stated that no mobilisation fee would be provided. We financed everything ourselves. We entered into a joint partnership with Dr. Marius Ibe of Mauritz Walton Nigeria Limited, who bore a substantial portion of the operational expenses,” she said.
The company wrote to the Debt Management Office on February 9, 2016, updating it on reconciliation carried out on behalf of Ebonyi State. By August 1, 2016, the DMO requested supporting documents, which the firm had already compiled and provided to the state.
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— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) March 4, 2026
