Prince Kassim Afegbua, a former Commissioner for Information in Edo state on Monday lambasted Arise TV anchor and a former spokesperson to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, Reuben Abati over his incessant attacks on Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

In an article titled 'Arise TV: Morality, Ethics And Criticism', Afegbua said Abati, a card-carrying member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lacks the moral right to criticise Tinubu for not honouring Arise TV's invitation for an interview or Town Hall meeting.

He wrote "Watching a card carrying member of the PDP, Reuben Abati voice his criticism of Tinubu's refusal to appear on Arise TV’s scripted Town Hall outing, reminds me of the several contradictions that bake the human mind. In taking Tinubu on for refusing to honour Arise TV’s invitation, the anchors throw decency to the wind as they poise as though they are the only existing binoculars or ethical compass from where Tinubu should be psychoanalysed".

"Sadly, the contradictions in these persons and their promoters make the moralist content of their emanations laughable but more seriously, insulting to our senses. Reuben Abati, an ex inmate of the EFCC dungeon, who was arrested over N500m public funds which he was accused to have collected like The Godfather on "behalf of Journalists", from the arms deal funds during Jonathan’s Administration" Wonders shall never end!.

"He was one of the nemesis of Jonathan's electoral failure. His abusive style against opponents and critics of Jonathan's drab leadership produced so many enemies against his principal. He has now picked on Tinubu. Having first criticised Jonathan and his wife over many issues, he quickly ate his humble pie when the carrot of appointment was dangled at him. From that day, I knew that Reuben Abati was finished".

"Maybe this is his way of wooing Presidents. He may be using his attacks on Tinubu to apply for a spokesman job, getting ready to jump ship when Tinubu wins. His latest employment in Arise TV is a deliberate rehabilitation provision by Nduka Obaigbena for this guy who shared in the largesse of the arms deal funds. Probing further, it seems most likely that there is more to the establishment of the television station than meets the eye".

"On ethical grounds, Reuben Abati is a failure. On morality, he still fails the test. On the credibility of someone interrogating another, over crimes which he himself is also alleged to have committed, he fails yet again. Reuben Abati, as a member of the PDP, ran as running mate to Late Kashamu; may he find rest. Kashamu was reputed to be drug baron who used the instrumentality of the law courts to prevent his extradition to the US. At that time, Reuben saw nothing wrong with his political adventurism, but has suddenly become livid with anger and rage over frivolous allegations against Tinubu".

"This, to me, is the height of contradiction. Abati's position exists vicariously through other members of the PDP like his employer, and he is trying hard as he can to be one of The PDP’s inchoate salesmen working against other presidential candidates; using his own structured so-called Town Hall Meeting as bait. For sometime now, Abati, who prides himself as one of the intellectual warehouses of the Journalism profession has been breaking all known ethics of this same profession; largely by unleashing his subjective sentiments on his supposed victims".

"In self immolation, his casual bravado against Governor Wike some time ago over Wike’s stance on the imbalances in the opposition PDP was most contemptible; to say the least. Abati took precious airtime to lambast the Governor, simply because his employer is in court with Wike; therefore, they wouldn't want to objectively interrogate the kernel of Wike's reservations against the PDP. As far as Abati was concerned, Wike had committed an unpardonable sin, for daring to interrogate the abnormalities of a system within the PDP that is manifestly skewed against the South".

"TV anchors are not trained with such temperament, and are not expected to display such personal sentiments against persons they may detest. An anchor ought to know where to draw the line between his own warped sentiments and what ought to be shared to the public. Abati's often misplaced anger clearly exposes him as one who tries to cover up personality gaps. He brags about being cerebral and brilliant. He brags about being one of the earliest columnists. He brags about his first class in UniCal. He brags as though he has become the barometer for measuring the conscience of journalism and its appurtenances".

"As a Spokesman to Goodluck Jonathan, Abati was a poor seller; he did not only become part and parcel of a rotten system that pervaded the public space, he was also an actor and shared in the loot that dominated that regime. The same man now poses as the moral compass of a TV station that ought to be a platform for nurturing a healthy society. Each time these categories of ego-defensive ideologues try to wear the moral badge of courage to interrogate persons and factors in the system, their previous sins push against their conversations and shame them. For a society that wears the garb of chichidodo, such a beautiful bird that feeds on maggots but hates the smell of faeces, their contradiction portends sour grapes".

" I keep asking myself, does Abati have the moral ground and ethical nuance to accuse anyone of being corrupt? Not in this clime!! Does he have the morality to accuse anyone of falling short of the conditionality of ethical conduct? Not in this clime!! A man who is on bail from the EFCC dungeon over profligate consciencelessness is as guilty and maybe even more guilty than those he tries to castigate".

KingOfBoyz1:
Why should Tinubu hide from interviews self. Abi e get another thing wey them wan ask am wey pass bala bulu

KanwuliaExtra:
. . . . .And what are you doing Mr. Afegbua?

Babangidda's well has run dry. . . . time for a new benefactor. You sef wan look for where you fit chop. Tell Keyamo to show you the ropes jor.

Trust Abati. Wait for it. . . . .

HedwigesMaduro:
Why do many Nigerians love calling others failure because they don't share the same views as theirs? Nigerians are so unintelligent.

donpapa:
Like Abati, like Afegbua. Anywhere bele face

Wiseandtrue:
No be this same man dey praise Abati when he was attacking Rufai Oseni

Unstable people everywhere