The fiery on-air confrontation between Arise TV anchor, Rufai Oseni, and Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has ignited a wave of criticism and reflection within Nigeria’s media space, with industry veterans warning that the line between accountability and aggression in journalism must never be blurred.
What should have been an illuminating interview on national infrastructure projects quickly devolved into a personal confrontation when Oseni accused the Minister of reporting him to President Bola Tinubu, a claim made without substantiated evidence.
The moment, now viral, has raised serious concerns about professionalism and decorum in broadcast journalism.
Chike Emma Onwe, former Commissioner for Information and State Orientation in Ebonyi State and senior lecturer in Mass Communication at Ebonyi State University, described the episode as “a textbook case of how not to conduct a professional interview.”
“The role of the journalist is to inform, not to perform. Journalism is not theatre, and the journalist is not the story. The tone of questioning often shapes the tone of response, and when interviews turn combative, public trust suffers," Onwe hinted.
Onwe cautioned that while public officials must be held accountable, journalists equally bear the burden of maintaining fairness and emotional control in live interviews.
Echoing similar views, media scholar Bashir Abdullah Lawal advised Oseni to seek formal training in journalism, stressing that “academic expertise in Animal Anatomy cannot substitute for the principles of professional news practice.”
“The ethics and techniques of interviewing require balance, empathy, and respect for guests. Interrogation is not journalism. The journalist’s task is to ask probing but fair questions that enlighten, not inflame," Lawal noted.
Veteran journalist Peter Okutu added that journalism is not an enforcement agency and should not mirror the methods of the military or police.
“Some practitioners have turned the media into a battleground for personal expression Journalists must rediscover humility and responsibility if the press is to remain a credible pillar of democracy," Okutu stated.
As the controversy continues to dominate public discourse, experts insisted that the “Rufai–Umahi episode” should serve as a wake-up call to the Nigerian media industry: the power of the press must be used to inform and enlighten, not to provoke or polarize.
