Arise TV Clash: Rufai Needs Professional Training, Politicians Must Face Scrutiny – UNILAG Mass Comm HOD Warms

By Emmanuel Adenuga and Oreoluwa Moyebi.

Professor Ibitayo Popoola, Head of the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Lagos, speaking on the recent on-air clash between Lere Olayinka, media aide to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, and anchor Rufai Oseni on Arise TV’s The Morning Show, has stated that politicians should be held accountable and not evade critical questions by journalists.

He added that journalists need formal media qualifications, urging broadcasters to get trained in order to be more professional in their practice.

“Public officials who avoid critical questions are doing damage to democracy, however broadcast journalists should be refined and maintain the high ethical standards of journalism,” Popoola said.

The academic noted the discomfort shown by political figures when asked critical questions, describing it as a hangover from the colonial era.

“It is not new that government will tag a section of the press that is critical of their activities as enemies of the government,”he said.

The university don insisted that spokespersons and public officials must prepare adequately for interviews instead of dodging questions or attacking interviewers.

“You can’t do without the press, they are the fourth estate of the realm,” he said.

“The trustees of the members of the public.”

While acknowledging that aggressive interviewers tend to attract large audiences, the professor stressed that an interview style must not distract audiences from the issues being discussed.

He also advocated for non media broadcasters to undergo professional training.

“When you come to the classroom, you see the wide gap between what you are doing and standard practice,” Popoola stated.

Taking a step back from the recent controversy, Popoola traced adversarial journalism to the early days of the Nigerian press.

He explained that the practice can be traced to the 1880s, when publications such as the Lagos Times and Gold Coast Advertiser emerged.

The Lagos Times, whose motto was “Be just and fear not,” took on the role of a watchdog, challenging those in authority during the colonial era.

According to Popoola, that responsibility remains relevant today.

Referring to the exchange between Rufai and Olayinka, he explained that journalists have the right to ask difficult questions, especially when the public has a right to know.

He also linked this responsibility to Article 22 of the 1999 Constitution, which gives the mass media the responsibility of holding government accountable to the people.

Popoola also criticised the termination of the live interview after the clash, calling it a mistake.

“How can they stop it? A large number of the viewing public were enjoying it,”he stated.

He added that cutting the interview short deprives viewers of vital information and can damage the station’s reputation.

Popoola emphasised the importance of training, preparation, ethics and objectivity, reminding aspiring journalists that the right to ask difficult questions also comes with the responsibility to remain truthful and focused on the public interest.

He charged journalists to be assertive without being aggressive, while politicians should learn how to face the press.