Minister of Works, David Umahi, has taken a swipe at popular Nigerian socialite and businessman, Pascal Chibuike Okechukwu, better known as Cubana Chief Priest.
Umahi criticised what he described as a growing culture of noise-making and excessive show-off, questioning why some people constantly boast about how much money they have instead of allowing their achievements to speak for them.
The minister made the remarks during a recent engagement, where he urged Nigerians to place greater emphasis on their contributions to society rather than measuring their success by the amount of money they claim to possess.
“We have become very noise-making. Every time, money na water. How much do you have? Have you ever seen water that have money? Have you ever seen children that say I have money, or say I have money, or poor?” Umahi said.
He stressed that genuine wealth and success should be reflected in people’s accomplishments rather than constant public declarations about their financial status.
According to the minister, money does not need to be advertised or displayed to establish someone’s worth, urging Nigerians to focus on meaningful achievements and their impact on society.
Although Umahi did not directly mention Cubana Chief Priest by name in the remarks, his comments come about two weeks after the socialite publicly criticised his performance as Minister of Works.
Cubana Chief Priest had taken to Instagram to describe Umahi as the second-worst minister the South-East had ever produced, questioning the benefits the region had received from having one of its sons occupy such an important position in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The socialite also called on President Tinubu to remove Umahi and other ministers he believed were not performing satisfactorily.
His criticism reportedly generated discussions about the performance of South-East political appointees and the federal government’s commitment to infrastructure development in the region.
Umahi, a former governor of Ebonyi State, was appointed Minister of Works by President Tinubu and is responsible for overseeing federal road infrastructure projects across the country.
The minister has consistently defended the administration’s infrastructure record, maintaining that the South-East is benefiting from federal government projects and appointments.