NANS slams Cubana Chief Priest for criticising Umahi

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has described a recent public criticism of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, CON, by celebrity socialite Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, as unwarranted and insulting.

NANS noted that Umahi is one of the best-performing ministers from the South-East region and a key anchor of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope administration.

In a statement signed by the NANS National President, Comrade Akinteye Afeez, and made available to journalists on Monday, the student body described the attacks on Umahi as unwarranted, misleading, and politically motivated.

NANS emphasised that David Umahi has distinguished himself through landmark infrastructural innovations—particularly the introduction and widespread implementation of rigid concrete pavement technology in Nigerian road construction.

Comrade Akinteye explained that the student leadership’s position was informed by empirical observation following a recent nationwide inspection of federal road projects, particularly those connecting tertiary institution campuses across the country.

ALSO READ:Alleged phone-tapping: Court dismisses El-Rufai’s no-case submission

“To be clear, the Minister of Works has proven himself to be a worthy public servant who has not only redefined infrastructural development but has also raised the standard through unprecedented innovations, particularly the adoption and expansion of concrete pavement in road construction,” the statement read.

“We have been to virtually every nook and cranny of this country, and most recently, we commenced a nationwide tour of federal road projects, most significantly the roads leading to our campuses. In all of this, what we have seen firsthand is that the orientation has been re-engineered.”

Addressing the critic directly, NANS questioned the moral authority of individuals without a proven background in public governance to grade high-performing public officials.

“An individual with no clear record of public service, like Cubana Chief Priest, should not be talking down on a performing minister like Engr. David Umahi, CON, who has become one of the faces of the Renewed Hope Administration.”

“Cubana Chief Priest is free to support whoever he wishes to support in the next election, but that should not be an excuse to run down a performing minister. Instead of misleading the public, he should get his facts right and desist from openly making assertions he cannot defend.”

NANS asserted that the targeted attack on the Works Minister stems from his strong, vocal political backing for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the South-East region.

The student union subsequently called on President Tinubu to disregard political detractors intent on undermining key drivers of his administration’s infrastructure agenda.

“We urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, not to listen to these detractors who are bent on bringing down one of his performing ministers. Umahi has not only proven himself to be one of the best ministers from the South-East but also one of the best the country has produced.”

“Mr President must understand that these are individuals seeking to discredit a minister who has remained one of the loudest voices from the South-East in support of Asiwaju and has no doubt been one of the faces of the Renewed Hope Administration in the South-East and Nigeria at large,” NANS concluded.