Celebrity nightlife promoter Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, has hit back at billionaire businessman and Chairman of Coscharis Group, Cosmas Maduka, over his remarks condemning the popular phrase “Money Na Water.”
Maduka, in a recent public address, had criticized what he described as the “lavish spending culture” of today’s youth, stating that he avoids events where people “throw money around.” His comments appeared to target the social media flamboyance associated with entertainers and influencers like Cubana Chief Priest.
Reacting via Instagram on Wednesday, Cubana Chief Priest defended his slogan, insisting it represents a “philosophy of abundance and flow,” not wastefulness. According to him, “Money Na Water” embodies prosperity and the freedom that comes with liquidity in the digital age.
“With all due respect to the older generation who built wealth quietly, the world you thrived in is not the one we live in today,” he wrote. “In your time, capital was factories, fleets, and real estate. In our time, attention is the main capital. Visibility has become the new currency.”
He argued that while Maduka’s generation measured success by tangible assets, today’s economy thrives on digital visibility and influence, which he described as “the new oil field.” “In a digital economy, obscurity is bankruptcy,” he added. “What you don’t show doesn’t sell. What you don’t amplify dissolves into silence.”
Cubana Chief Priest also accused the Coscharis chairman of hypocrisy, alleging that Maduka uses younger, trendier figures to gain public attention while publicly criticizing them. “You mentioned us in your dry speech just to trend without paying us. Why must a billionaire pretend to use the toilet just to run away from an event? That’s a lot of stress for a real billionaire,” he quipped.
He went on to explain that “Money Na Water” symbolizes “excess liquidity, abundance, and relevance,” adding that today’s wealth is built on presence, not silence. “Content is not noise; content is digital equity. The same way factories produced wealth in the ’80s, attention produces wealth today,” he said.
In a parting jab, Cubana Chief Priest told Maduka to “remove his name” from respected billionaires like Tony Elumelu and Femi Otedola, whom he praised for using their wealth to “give Africa proper visibility.” “Your generation built fences to protect wealth; our generation builds platforms to project it,” he declared.
Reaffirming his signature phrase, he concluded: “When I say ‘Money Na Water,’ it’s a prophecy of wealth overload — not vanity. Some may choose to say ‘lack na water,’ but over here, Money Na Water! This is my story, my philosophy, and my business.”
