A fiery exchange erupted on Arise Television Tuesday morning when Minister of Works David Umahi engaged in a heated confrontation with host Rufai Oseni during an interview on The Morning Show.
The Minister, a former Governor of Ebonyi State, became visibly upset by the line of questioning, particularly when Oseni accused him of having reported the journalist to President Bola Tinubu over his critical views on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project.
The tension peaked when Umahi dismissed the host, asserting his superiority.
’You are too small for me’
Responding directly to the accusation of seeking presidential intervention against Oseni, Umahi forcefully denied the claim and insulted the journalist’s stature.
“You are too small for me to report the President. Stop saying I reported you to the President, you’re too small,” Umahi stated during the broadcast.
The Minister also claimed superior knowledge on the subject of discussion—engineering—a field in which he claimed expertise: “Keep quiet and stop saying what you don’t know. I’m a professor in this field. You don’t understand anything.”
When Oseni challenged the Minister to state the year he became a professor, Umahi clarified that his professorship was derived not from an academic institution but from his practical experience in the engineering sector, arguing that Oseni lacked the necessary knowledge for the questions posed.
“I understand engineering very well. You have no knowledge of what you ask. You have no knowledge of what you’re asking,” the Minister said.
Oseni responded to the personal attacks by stating, “Minister, it’s alright, keep dignifying yourself, and let the world know who you truly are.” The exchange immediately drew widespread reaction on social media.
