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Tag: Rufai Oseni

  • Umahi, Rufai Oseni clash over Coastal Highway on live TV

    Umahi, Rufai Oseni clash over Coastal Highway on live TV

    Minister of Works, David Umahi, on Tuesday clashed with Arise TV presenter Rufai Oseni during a tense on-air interview on The Morning Show.

    The heated exchange, which quickly went viral after clips surfaced on X, occurred when Oseni questioned Umahi’s use of the title Professor of Engineering and accused him of previously reporting him to President Bola Tinubu over his critical comments on the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Road project.

    Visibly irritated, Umahi rebuked the presenter, insisting on being addressed properly and defending his professional credentials.

    The confrontation briefly disrupted the interview before it continued amid visible tension between both men.

    READ ALSO; Nigeria’s non-interest capital market hits N1.6tr

    The visibly angry minister fired back at the presenter, stating, “Keep quiet and stop saying what you don’t know. I’m a professor in this field. You don’t understand anything.

    “I understand engineering very well. You have no knowledge of what you ask. You have no knowledge of what you’re asking.”

    He added, “You are too small for me to report to the President. Stop saying I reported you to the President, you’re too small.”

    Oseni also refused to back down, stating, “Minister, it’s alright, keep dignifying yourself, and let the world know who you truly are.”

    Weighing into the issue, Lere Olayinka, the Spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory Minister, recalled schooling the presenter about ways and manners of addressing guests, especially in their official capacity.

    Olayinka further accused Rufai of “self-pride”.

    Olayinka wrote on X, “I listened to @ruffydfire addressing the Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi as you guys.

    “I once lectured this man that in journalism, there are words you don’t use to address people, especially in their official capacity.

    “Obviously, self-pride won’t let Rufai Oseni do the needful.”

    In a follow up tweet, Olayinka wrote, “You invited a Minister to your TV station to speak on issues, and you are telling him to keep quiet?

    “Only animal something something can do such.”

  • BUA Group chairman, Deputy Speaker, Gov. Mohammed, Rufai Oseni for Igbere TV Leadership Excellence Award

    BUA Group chairman, Deputy Speaker, Gov. Mohammed, Rufai Oseni for Igbere TV Leadership Excellence Award

    The Chairman BUA Group, Abdulsamad Rabiu, Governor of Bauchi state, Sen. Bala Mohammed, Arise TV senior anchor Rufai Oseni are among eminent Nigerians to be honoured at the forthcoming 5th edition of the 2023 Leadership Excellence (LEEX) Awards. 

    This is in recognition of their outstanding performance in dexterous administration, tremendous contribution to nation building and selfless service to humanity, a letter signed by the LOC secretary and chairman, Emeh James Anya and Prof. B. I Babafemi respectively said. 

    The Awards presentation dinner comes up Saturday at The Congress Hall, Transcorp Hilton Abuja by 5pm.

    Read Also: BUA foundation commits N2b for soldiers’ quarters

    It will have the former Senate Chief Whip, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu as Chief Host; The Vice Chancellor University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Owunari Georgewill as Chairman; and the Deputy Speaker House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu as Keynote Speaker.

    LEEX Awards was proudly endorsed in 2020 by the African Union Economic Social and Cultural Council (AU-ECOSOCC) and in 2021 by the African Union African Film Institute (AU-AFI), the organisers said. 

    The event will be attended by key players in the political and corporate sectors of the country.

  • Actor Yul Edochie accuses Rufai Oseni of unprofessionalism

    Actor Yul Edochie accuses Rufai Oseni of unprofessionalism

    Popular actor Yul Edochie has rained fire and brimstone on controversial journalist, Rufai Oseni over his recent exchange with All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Jesutega Onokpasa.

    The fiery journalist a few days hosted Jesutega Onokpasa on the morning show where the chieftain was seen to have been unsubscribing ferociously to the hot takes of Oseni on national issues. 

    While the exchange has become a trending topic on social media, Yul Edochie took to his Instagram page to address the issue and severely chastise the journalist.

    He knocked Rufai, saying that he has no moral integrity or right to be speaking about another person that way.

    Read Also: Tinubu is a master strategist, he will fix Nigeria – Yul Edochie

    “My friend shut up and sit down! I’m talking to you! You have no right, you don’t have any moral justification to talk where people with integrity are talking! You’re talking nonsense on national TV, you’re a very disrespectful person, you have no respect for the laws of this country! In fact if someone like you becomes president, you will wipe out Nigerians. 

    “Are you not the same person that was caught driving on BRT lane? You could not even apologise, if not because somebody had a video, that was when you came on national TV to apologise. This is what you do, imagine the other ones that we’ve not seen before. Who taught you journalism? The first thing they should have taught you is to respect your guests,” he said.

  • Furore over Peter Obi’s alleged cash gift to Rufai Oseni

    Furore over Peter Obi’s alleged cash gift to Rufai Oseni

    Mixed reactions have trailed a recent report that the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, allegedly funded the funeral of the late father of Arise TV’s host, Rufai Oseni.

    Reno Omokri, the Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, alleged Obi funded the funeral of Rufai’s father.

    Omokri alleged this on his X account on August 25 with a picture of Obi and Rufai.

    He asked the former Anambra Governor to come clean on whether or not he gave money to Oseni during the latter’s father’s funeral, a move Reno said has influenced the journalist into making political comments and analysis in favour of Obi.

    He posted: “AriseTV and Mr Rufai Oseni should kindly answer the following question. Did Mr Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, fund the funeral of Mr Rufai Oseni’s father by giving him money in cash or via electronic means, either directly or through a third party, in August 2022, 

    Peter Obi and Rufai Oseni

    “…and has that influenced Mr. Oseni’s open bias in favour of Peter Obi, whereby Mr. Oseni used the AriseTV platform as a medium to campaign for and launder the image of Mr Peter Obi, and his undisguised personal animosity towards me for my refusal to support Mr Peter Obi’s Presidential ambition? I counsel them to think very carefully before they answer.”

    Read Also: Labour Party will win Imo governorship election, Peter Obi vows

    Omokri, in one of the tweets, further called on Obi to publicly deny ever-inducing Oseni financially.

    He added: “I asked a question that Mr. Peter Obi has NOT answered and has tried to use semantics to dodge.

    “My question is this: Did Peter Obi fund the funeral of Mr Rufai Oseni’s father by giving him money in cash or via electronic means, either directly or through a third party, and has that influenced Mr. Oseni’s open bias in favour of Peter Obi, whereby Mr. Oseni used the AriseTV platform as a medium to campaign for and launder the image of Mr Peter Obi, and his undisguised personal animosity towards me for my refusal to support Mr Peter Obi’s Presidential ambition,” asked Omokri.

    Reacting to Omokri’s questions, Obi refuted the claims that he financed the burial of Oseni’s father. 

    In his response via his X account, Obi said that he never sponsored such, adding that it is “a categorical lie.”

    According to him: “There is a recent case where my name has been mentioned in a malicious and cheap blackmail against one of Nigeria’s best Television presenters, Mr. Rufai Oseni, who has stood sternly for what is right and has challenged me fearlessly on some occasions while speaking truth to power. 

    “I have recently been mentioned to have bribed Mr. Rufai Oseni by financially sponsoring the burial of his father.

    “Let me clearly state that this is a categorical lie. It is not true, cannot be true and will never be true. Everyone who understands or follows my approach to things will attest to the fact that I do not give anyone money to promote my name.”

    He added that he never enticed any journalist to speak or write in his favour.

    “I have never and will never monetarily induce any journalist to speak or write in my favour. When I am invited to birthday celebrations or funerals, people know that I do attend. 

    “Countless journalists, media personnel, the less privileged, the wealthy etc., have all invited me to their occasions and they will attest to the fact that I honour such invitations, especially when people are grieving. I have never been to Rufai’s village. Even at the point of writing this, I do not know where he is from.

    “One then wonders why people could decide to tarnish other people’s image for no justifiable reason. To those involved in such evil endeavours, I wish them well and pray that God will have mercy on them.”