A live interview on Tuesday turned contentious when Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, and Arise News anchor, Rufai Oseni, engaged in a fiery exchange over the controversial Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
The tension began when Oseni asked Umahi to clarify reports that he had allegedly complained to President Bola Tinubu about the journalist’s critical comments on the project. The minister swiftly dismissed the claim and appeared visibly annoyed by the question.
“You are too small for me to report you to the President. Who are you for me to report you?” Umahi retorted sharply.
The interview grew more heated when Umahi referred to himself as a “professor in engineering,” a claim Oseni challenged, prompting the minister to explain that the title was based on professional experience, not academic recognition.
“Keep quiet and stop saying what you don’t know. I’m a professor in this field. I understand engineering very well. You don’t understand anything,” Umahi said.
Oseni responded calmly, saying:
“Minister, it’s alright. Keep dignifying yourself and let the world know who you truly are.”
