Cubana Group Founder/CEO, Obi Iyiegbu aka Obi Cubana, has responded to allegations of engaging in money rituals.
Recall that the funeral ceremony for Chief Ezinne Uche Iyiegbu, mother of the businessman/nightlife boss attracted global attention due to the crass display of wealth and affluence in his village, Afor Uzo Oba in Anambra State.
According to the businessman who spoke to BBC Igbo, his success and the money people see him flaunt today are e results of years of consistent hard work.
In his words, ”Miracle no dey give money because that pastor needs the money more. Native doctor no fit give money because his children are the ones who fetch water from the stream. How can he give you what he doesn’t have? Work hard. Work hard.”
On how he became a Billionaire, the Cubana boss revealed:
“I want to state this clearly, I am not the talking type or social media interest-free person. Many have questioned the type of boys and friends I have. To me, I hardly address anyone as my boy because we are all boys to God Almighty.
I don’t have any boy who is into rituals, if you are my boy or my man because I like to address my boys as my men, it means you are working hard and you made your money in a clean way.
In 2013, I pushed 53 uneducated Oba boys into the market to learn trading. In 2017, I withdrew all of them from their Ogas and settled all of them with 3million Naira each and paid for their shops. I linked 40 of them into importation and made them use my name and platform to import goods into the country. After two years, I checked on them how they were doing and found out some had issues and I supported them again to stand.
I am happy today that out of the 53 men, 38 are billionaires while the rest are on the level of a millionaire.
In 2018, I took 100 educated men out of the streets and introduced them to the white men for business and today they are billionaires in dollars. They also help me in their capacity when I require their help. All their friends both in Nigeria and outside, patronise me.
I am into hotel and club business and I have so many businesses. I am brand ambassadors too. I have alliance with spirit drinks and wines, I am brand to many businesses in the world. It gives me joy to see my men do well, none of my hotel managers in Nigeria can smell poverty, I encourage them to raise others from their local communities.
I have never sacked a worker due to misconduct, I bring you in and speak to you the way you will understand. I have this understanding that we should allow the stubborn people to exist and cool headed people to exist and we make use of them when their needs arise. I don’t believe in the supremacy of power rather I believe in the fair share of power and authority and allow everyone to feel belonged, “
As for those asking him to “cut soap” for them, he advised them to work hard and be consistent.
“Cut soap” is slang used to ask a successful person to give you a bit of what they are using that makes them successful. It originates from the claims that some young fraudsters visit ritualists who give them soap to bathe with for optimal success.
He said, “If you are in your 20s, work now. I am 46 years. I have done my first half. I don’t know why someone who is just 20 years will say he has not made it when he still has 50 years 60 years ahead.
“There is no soap to cut for anybody, there is no soap anywhere, work, pray, be good, make your own soap.”