The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has criticised the growing culture of flaunting wealth on social media, questioning the popular “money na water” slogan associated with celebrity businessman Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest.
Umahi’s remarks come weeks after the socialite criticised his performance as Minister of Works, accusing him of failing to deliver meaningful infrastructure development in the South-East.
According to Daily Post, the minister made the comments during a recent public engagement, with a video of his remarks circulating on social media.
Umahi questions public display of wealth
Speaking in the video, Umahi expressed concern over what he described as the increasing tendency of wealthy Nigerians to boast about their financial status.
He questioned the need for individuals to repeatedly announce their wealth instead of allowing their achievements to speak for them.
“We are becoming very noisy. Money na water. How much do you have?” the minister asked.
Drawing comparisons with prominent Nigerian businessmen, Umahi questioned whether billionaires Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola regularly made public declarations about their wealth.
“Have you ever seen Dangote say that I have money? Or Otedola? Have you ever seen that? Money speaks for itself,” he said.
The former Ebonyi State governor maintained that financial success should be reflected in meaningful accomplishments and contributions to society.
He also questioned what those who publicly boast about their wealth had done to improve the lives of others.
“We are becoming very loud. We should go back to our strategy,” Umahi added.
Cubana Chief Priest earlier criticised Umahi
The minister’s comments followed an earlier social media attack by Cubana Chief Priest, who questioned Umahi’s performance in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The businessman described Umahi as the second-worst minister the South-East had produced, alleging that the region had benefited little from his appointment.
“We have nothing to show for it as a region that had minister of works,” the socialite claimed.
Cubana Chief Priest also urged Tinubu to replace ministers he considered ineffective, arguing that political appointments should produce visible improvements in infrastructure and public services.
His criticism centred on the condition of infrastructure in the South-East and what he considered the limited impact of the region’s representatives in the Federal Executive Council.
Umahi’s remarks renew attention to disagreement
Although Umahi did not mention Cubana Chief Priest by name in the circulated excerpt, several media reports have interpreted his comments as a response to the businessman’s earlier criticism.
The exchange has attracted attention to the relationship between public officials and influential social media personalities.
Cubana Chief Priest has continued to question the minister’s infrastructure record, with subsequent reports indicating that he challenged Umahi to identify projects delivered in the South-East.
The minister’s remarks, however, focused primarily on wealth, public conduct and contributions to society rather than directly addressing the specific infrastructure allegations raised by the businessman.
The exact date and location of Umahi’s speech have not been independently established.
