Let me not allow Dr Abati’s Bowtie to distract me and go straight to my piece on this matter
As Dr Abati’s Bowtie hits me at the beginning of the programme, I make a conscious effort to ignore it, as my mission in this write-up is clear: to call out my friend and brother.
Rufai Oseni has forced himself into national consciousness with his passionate take on issues and his sometimes grilling of our leaders, which has made the morning show of Arise TV a ratings magnet
He has, however, been accused of being sometimes emotional and letting the pressure of the debate get to him, which most times pushes him to get even more emotional and pushy
On this particular episode, he was at loggerheads with the garrulous Minister of Works, Engineer Dave Umahi
The clip circulating is the point where the Minister tells Rufai to shut up, and Rufai responds very boldly
I reached out to a media expert with the question: Was Rufai rude? And he said he didn’t think so, but that he was borderline unprofessional
I decided to go watch the whole thing from the beginning to the end
The programme started with Dr Abati’s Bowtie and then the Minister took it from there with a long and winding ‘attack’ on Rufai.
The Minister seems to have had it for Rufai as he continued to talk about educating him, correcting him and redirecting him
For me, this was the trigger, and from what I deduced, Rufai acted as if he took the blow very personally and went for the Minister’s jugular
This is where Rufai lost me. Hon Minister, can you keep quiet? He bellowed. Hon. Minister, could you please be silent while I speak? Hon Minister, if you will let me talk…
The question is for Media experts to answer: who owns programs like this?
Is it the presenter or the guests? From my layman’s angle, the presenter’s job is to trigger leading questions and wait for the guests to either shine or bury themselves
Oprah Winfrey and Christiane Amanpour are some of the best, simply cos they do a lot more listening than talking
It’s not a popularity contest between the Presenter and Guests; it’s a unique opportunity for guests to give their report card, and for us, the viewers, to decide for ourselves
If we need an inquest, it will not be held on AriseTV; instead, we will petition a competent court.
Rufai came across as a chairman of a Military tribunal, pushing questions, demanding to be heard and generally haranguing the guests as if it were ‘two fighting’
The Minister himself also looked like someone who had boasted to his wife that he could handle the ‘little’ boy Rufai as he bellowed – You are too little to be reported to the President
He too came across with rough edges, like a roadside wrestler with his bulging belly struggling with his buttons
At some point, Rufai committed TV harakiri – continue dignifying yourself so the world can see what you truly are
In better climes, that would have been the end of Rufai on set.
That was downright abusive, low and pedestrian.
The whole thing had dropped to the level of a cat fight, and at that point, I gave up.
I would have stood up and walked away in Umahis shoes.
Being responsive as a public servant doesn’t mean being down rightly abused on air by a TV presenter.
That, in my book, is not public accountability but outright bullying
Being hard is not being abusive. Before I wrote this, I went to watch BBC Hard Talk, where OBJ was given his greatest grilling
The questions on corruption were hard, forcing him into a corner, but delivered in a tongue-in-cheek style with considerable respect for the elder on set.
In Rufai’s emotional state, he didn’t even notice that the man had said – you cannot calculate cost per kilometre but an average cost, considering the unique nature of the terrain, but till the programme ended, Rufai kept screaming cost per kilometre, even up to the point where the Minister shouted – this is nonsensical.
Truly, it was nonsensical cos the project was still in process and had only just been awarded, so a cost per kilometre cannot even be arrived at just yet
Minister reminded him that you name a baby still in the womb, but my brother was far gone to even pull back
This, in my estimation, was Rufai’s worst outing as he was not composed, appeared as a bullfighter, lost his balance and resorted to almost abuse while looking like he was playing to the gallery in a very condescending – look at me, am I doing well-mode
The minister also didn’t look good as he came across as very crass, not totally on top of his game and lacking in finesse
Both of them looked and spoke like hungry gorillas, more so Rufai, who should have known better.
Imagine the joke of calling himself a Professor in this area being lost on Rufai
That was a joke, a typical saying that Nigerians use regularly to describe their expertise in an area, and Rufai, in self-righteous anger, submits – oh, I didn’t know you were a professor, which school gave you that?
Mbok, last time, I called out a friend, Tope Fasua, he blocked me, abused me and reported me to the whole world
What kind of public commentator would I be if I lash out at others, and when my friends take the piss, I look the other way
I believe I owe my conscience and my huge followers the credibility of my thoughts at all times, except where they concern my mama
On this one, Rufai missed it big time, and I have said my mind on the matter
He can come and beat me
Thanks
Duke of Shomolu