Umahi fires back at Cubana Chief Priest: 'Money na water, how much do you have?'
Works Minister David Umahi has responded to Cubana Chief Priest's Instagram attack from two weeks ago, where the socialite called him the second-worst minister the South-East has ever produced and demanded President Tinubu sack him. Speaking at a recent engagement, Umahi criticised what he described as a growing culture of noise-making and performative wealth display.
"We have become very noise-making. Every time, money na water. How much do you have? Have you ever seen water that have money?" Umahi said in Pidgin, arguing that real wealth shows in achievements, not social media boasts. He urged Nigerians to focus on tangible contributions to society rather than flaunting money online.
Cubana Chief Priest's original critique centred on the South-East having "nothing to show" despite having one of its own as Works Minister—a portfolio critical for the region's infrastructure deficit. The exchange highlights a deeper tension: public figures trading insults while federal roads in the South-East remain in poor condition.
Neither man addressed specific projects, completion timelines, or budget allocations. The minister's rebuttal targeted the messenger's credibility rather than the substance of the infrastructure complaint.
When officials and influencers perform accountability as theatre, who tracks the actual work? Will you demand project-level transparency from your representatives, or accept viral moments as substitute for delivery?