In defence of Rufai Oseni ~ by Frank Tietie

Rufai Oseni, Nigeria’s most popular television personality and co-host of The Morning Show (TMS), Africa’s most widely viewed morning news television programme, which airs every morning on the Arise News channel, is perhaps one of the most patriotic Nigerians alive today.

In an age, where nearly everyone, especially in the media, seems to maximise positional privilege for the self-benefit of patronage from the political class in expectation of the reward of either to be given a political appointment or direct financial favours in the shadows, the magnificent Rufai Oseni has chosen to ditch personal interests and taken the risk of treading the path of representing suffering and angry Nigerians, with the privilege he has been given to co-host TMS.

Rufai’s noble path of representing the sentiments of voiceless, downtrodden Nigerians who are victims of bad governance is only unpopular with Nigeria’s ruling elite, many of whom, in past and present administrations, have contributed significantly to Nigeria’s present bad state of political instability, economic malaise, widespread insecurity, and misgovernance at various levels.

The author,  Executive Director, Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER), Frank Tietie

It is these parasitic individuals of the Nigerian political class and government establishment who only take from Nigeria and never give to it, yet expect to be hobnobbed and entreated when they come on a live television show with an international viewership. How wrong!

Government officials and political hustlers who appear on television forget that the media’s constitutional duty is to hold them accountable. When they are asked tough questions, they get angry and get personal to detract from the truth being sought.

Modern television news broadcasting is especially about independence, objectivity, truth, and authenticity, which Rufai possesses to his credit as a highly qualified broadcast journalist and television anchor. He will take anyone, including myself, to the cleaners with his style factual empiricism armed with latest data references. Those who are scared of his approach can hate and fear him yet millions of Nigerians simply love him.

That Lere Olayinka, the highly unrefined spokesperson of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, chose to go ad hominem with Rufai in their last encounter on TMS is simply an exhibition of how puerile Lere, himself is in formal public engagement, that’s why he chose to pander to pedestrian plaudits in the style of _amala politics_ .

Nigeria must raise its standards from its usual mundane life of the average expectations and embrace the challenges of finding solutions to its history of a bad governance model over the years.

Rufai Oseni, by his uncompromising, tough stance on issues and guests on TMS, has challenged himself and indeed every Nigerian to very high standards of media demand for public accountability. Posterity will definitely vindicate him in the right of time and history.

And to those who have nothing against the Rufai but that he is arrogant and defiant, simply validate the risk he has taken for the job’s sake. Nevertheless, let them know that it is so plain to see that Rufai is such a naturally pleasant personality who is so much fun to be with. That he loves Nigeria, takes his job seriously and is pained by the misgovernance of Nigeria, doesn’t change his admirable demeanour. And to think that he indeed studied hard stuff like animal physiology yet speaks such polished English with absolute compliance to the rules of correct grammar, truly makes him a multi-talented genius.

Stay strong, Rufai. Your commitment to improving Nigeria will not be in vain. A generation of young Nigerians is growing from your work and rising to make Nigeria even greater.

Frank Tietie, Esq., a lawyer and Arise News (Legal) Analyst, writes from Abuja.

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