Ebonyi Youths Protest Arise TV Reporter Rufai Oseni Over Alleged Disrespect to Minister Dave Umahi

A group of youths in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, recently staged a protest demanding an apology from Arise TV journalist Rufai Oseni.

 The protest was in response to an interview in which Oseni questioned the Minister of Works and former Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, about the cost per kilometer of the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project. Umahi, visibly agitated, dismissed the inquiry as "elementary" and asserted that road costs vary due to unique engineering challenges. Oseni persisted, urging Umahi to allow him to speak .

The protesters, identifying as the "Concerned Youths for Distinguished Senator David Umahi," criticized Oseni's remarks, including his directive to Umahi to "keep quiet and allow me speak." They deemed these comments disrespectful and issued a 24-hour ultimatum for Oseni and Arise TV to apologize to Umahi .

However, the protest has faced criticism. The Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID) disassociated itself from the demonstrators, labeling them a "faceless and scanty group" lacking genuine representation of Ebonyi's populace. AEISCID defended Oseni's questioning as a legitimate exercise of press freedom, emphasizing the importance of transparency and accountability from public officials. The group also alleged that during Umahi's tenure as governor, journalists faced restrictions and intimidation when seeking information on governance matters .