By Inibehe Effiong
Efforts to delegitimize his frank style of journalism must not succeed. Nigerian politicians have been getting away with murder. In a corrupt and repressive country like Nigeria, journalists like Rufai represents the conscience of the nation.
Those who accuse him of fighting with or attacking his guests are not being fair to him. If you watch Arise Morning Show frequently, you’ll see that the sin of Rufai is that he is always asking the forbidden questions in a direct and blunt manner. He hasn’t done anything unusual.
There are many international and highly respected journalists that are more fiery than Rufai on CNN, Aljazeera and the BBC. Rufai is hated by people in power and their cronies because he does not pander to the shenanigans of the establishment. The talk about neutrality is feeble.
Christian Amanpour once said that a journalist is not neutral. Every media organization has its own ideological leaning. What should matter is that they should act fairly in their reportage.
Anyone who says that a journalist should not have or express opinion is insincere.
The same accusations that people are making against journalists like Rufai is the same accusations that radical lawyers, from the days of Gani Fawehinmi, have been facing. They will accuse you of being insolent and confrontational. But the corrupt ones are loved and protected.
