Arise News journalist, Rufai Oseni, in this interview by Sam Nwaoko tells the story of his journey into the media word.
How did your media journey begin?
I’ve always been a passionate person. I always like to extend the bounds of every argument. I remember then, my dad would always say ‘Rufai you have a gift of the garb’ and ‘go for it’. My father also encouraged me, he encouraged debate. As a young person I would debate with some of my father’s friends. This was my first litmus test because these were people that were way older than me. We would debate and argue things out. He encouraged me and was not a person that would shut me up. Even my mum too was like that. They took me with them everywhere and that also encouraged me. I started with a radio station in Warri called G FM where I ran a couple of shows. Then I had a brief stint with some foreign media outfits, local media outfits then I went into media marketing myself. I pretty much cut across every part. I’ve done entertainment media, I’ve been an editor of different magazines at different points in time. I’ve also written articles and columns in different newspapers, most of my letters are still published in ThisDay Newspapers. I was in radio in Lagos for about 10 years before I joined Arise. I came into Arise in 2019. I’m still on radio: VOP 90.3 FM in Lagos. It’s a new addition to the Lagos radio market and its growing so fast. A lot of people know me for my popular radio show, sharing life issues and information. These are just things that amplify conversations and arguments that make people better. So, my priority has always been about uplifting people.
Did you tailor you education towards these of you just found yourself in the media?
Not at all. I’m a general education therapist. Yes I’ve done many courses here and there studying media, workshops and all of that, but predominantly I’m a knock on wood scientist. I got a degree in Core Anatomy and Animal Physiology. So, for me it’s a thing on my passion. I’m a core scientist.
Could that be why you tend to build premises for your arguments?
Yes. For me, it has to be analytical. It has to be concrete. I don’t think emotionally, I think like a scientist. Yeah, I might use emotion to carry my words, but there should be a predominant logic in the conversation because I feel if there’s no logic, there’s no argument.
Perhaps, it’s that passion and emotion that make some think you are a politician on air. They believe that your emotions are tilted to one political party. How do you normally react to all of this?
I tell people like that to bring a solid argument. I’m always fond of saying: challenge me on my argument. A lot of people don’t know me. I don’t have a political leaning, I don’t tilt towards anybody. They keep shouting that I tilt towards Peter Obi but if you watch my interviews with him, you will see that has received it hard from me. I’m even harder on Peter Obi. I’ve interviewed him on VOP FM and Arise TV, they should go and watch how I grilled him. I just want somebody that can present to me very good logic so I can learn. I don’t tilt towards anybody and I say things the way they are. If Peter Obi does something, I say it. If Tinubu does something, I say it. Because of the political season, people just want you to keep quiet over things and I’m not like that. I try to make solid arguments and I say challenge my arguments. I want good rebuttals. That’s why these politicians may not necessarily like my idea of questions because, truth be told, they are not used to people challenging their logic. When you challenge their logic, it falls flat. People also accuse me of leaning towards PDP. When Dele Momodu came up with the logic that Atiku will win the presidential election, I challenged him and asked ‘how’. He said based on the analysis people did and that telecommunications is not deep rooted in Nigeria. But I challenged him and said we have over 200 million lines because at least there are 100 million Nigerians that own a phone. When was the last time you saw a Nigerian that doesn’t own a phone? So, those are the empirical logic that I try to push. So, when people tag you and say you’re leaning towards this, they have weak logic. If they have very serious logic, bring it to the table. I want to learn empirically. Give me a logic that will blow my mind. I want it to be evidence-based. Because people are so used to sentiments, when you present a logic, they say you’re tilting towards a place. The things I say with my arguments, you can verify them with logic. Are they not true or verifiable?
On this Naira issue now, some people have said I’m not sympathetic with the masses. I’ve been sympathetic with the masses. But I know empirically what the problem is. The political class in connivance with a lot of the banks are getting and hoarding money for their political ends. That’s my logic and you will see that once this presidential election is over, normalcy will start to return. I hold this argument because the main reason this money is being hoarded is because of this election. But it doesn’t stop the fact that CBN has pumped money into the market.
If you look at how the whole thing has been positioned now, what are your expectations on February 25th and after?
My greatest expectation is to have a free and fair, violence-free election. But when you look at the violent antecedents, you are shocked. Look at what happened to people that went to a rally in Lagos at the weekend. I just hope that doesn’t repeat itself on election day. Then I hope for less incidence of malfunction of the BVAS. That’s why INEC should be able to get its backend properly. Also, I want less connivance by ad hoc staff. I hope for all of these on the Election Day. When I ask empirical questions people say oh, he’s biased and all of that, which is not true. I asked the INEC chief of security what was the mechanism to do a background check on these ad hoc staff. These are the things that make or the election. Already, people have been disenfranchised; I hope you know that, by not being able to collect their permanent voter cards. That’s why I even stretched the argument further: Why must INEC even wait to print cards when what is at the back of your PVC is just bar code? Why couldn’t they give it to you on the day of your registration or send the bar code to your email address or why can’t they use a QR code scan because the BVAS machine takes your bio data or scans your QR code because it stores information. Those are the kind of innovations we hope for fair election. Then let INEC system work and let INEC install a robust firewall to be able to forestall cases of hacking because there is no how attempts would not be made on their system on that day, and the i-REC system in which they upload data. Let the people’s will be done. Me, I’m apolitical. Whoever that wins the election, all Nigerians rally round him after the case might have been won and lost at the courts because I know some people will definitely feel disgruntled and go to court. We must also give our criticism because I tell people that criticism is subsidized learning. We want you to do well, that’s why we criticize you not because we don’t want you to do well. In the end, this is our country. In the end, this is our country; I’m more patriotic than anything and it’s the sustainability and growth of my country that is topmost in my heart. That’s why I tell people I’m through and through Nigerian. You see, all these countries people go to and get their passport, you are still a second class citizen there. The truth is these people built their country, why can’t we build our country? I just want to be in the vanguard of conversations that will lead to the emergence of productive, strong and super-power Nigeria. That’s all.
