Business mogul Cosmas Maduka has fired back at celebrity barman Cubana Chief Priest following his viral remarks defending the phrase “Money Na Water.”
Earlier, Maduka had dismissed the popular slang, insisting that no truly wealthy individual would ever say “Money Na Water.
His statement didn’t sit well with Chief Priest, who swiftly clapped back, arguing that in today’s world, “visibility is the new currency” and that attention now holds more value than traditional assets.
Reacting via Facebook, Maduka — founder and chairman of Coscharis Group — criticized Chief Priest’s response, saying he went too far and misunderstood the foundations of real wealth. He reminded him that the digital platforms fueling today’s attention economy were created by men like him, not by those who merely use them for fame.
In his words, Maduka wrote:
“Chief Priest normally nah mumu and olodo wey swell up because of social climbing.
His ignorance and arrogance is fully displayed here in wide numbers.
And yes, his points show he has myopia and so filled with flaws as it relates with ultimate money goals and output, but learn to do what those his lines say for immediate money goals of today.”
Maduka went on to emphasize that true entrepreneurs like Mark Zuckerberg and other global tech innovators — the very people who built the platforms Chief Priest uses — don’t flaunt wealth or make careless statements like “Money Na Water.”
“Even Mark Zuckerberg and the many world digital entrepreneurs who created the social media machine from which you have now claimed attention capitalism do not say ‘Money Na Water’ or throw funds around,” he wrote.
“The investors whose liquid and equity built those digital businesses are men like Chief Cosmas Maduka, while the ‘chiefPriests’ are the slaves of the machines.”
In conclusion, he warned that a slave cannot suddenly become king simply because he works in the master’s field, adding:
“You mentioned Otedola and Elumelu, but you didn’t realize Aliko, their mentor, holds the same value as Cosmas Maduka. #IamSignature”
The ongoing back-and-forth between both public figures has stirred reactions online, with many Nigerians debating whether traditional wealth creation or digital influence defines success in today’s economy.
