For more than 3 decades, one of the pretty faces that entertained and delighted people on LTV 8 has been the very warm and charming Funke Moore. Having joined LTV at age 20, she rose through the ranks and last year, she was appointed the General Manager of the station. A few weeks back, she was redeployed from the service of Lagos State Broadcasting Corporation (LSBC), comprising Lagos TV and Radio Lagos/Eko FM, after 34 yrs of meritorious service.
This adorable ebony beauty would be the first to admit it’s not been easy reaching this point in her career, but still, she is extremely grateful to God.
She spoke with City People’s Senior Editor, WALE LAWAL and Reporter, SUNDAY ADIGUN, when City People Media Group played host to the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. KehindeBamigbetan, and she opened up on her slow but steady rise to the top of her career. Excerpts
What are your thoughts on the man (MrKehindeBamigbetan) whom we are celebrating today?
The man we are celebrating today is the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy and that is the Ministry for Lagos State Television, and I am the General Manager of Lagos State Television. I have known Mr. KehindeBamigbetan for over two decades since the time we were actively involved in the operations of the Nigeria Union of Journalists. He has always been an activist, and I have worked with him on several platforms. When he was the Chief Press Secretary, I worked with him.
I was an Editor at Lagos State Television. I worked with him when he was Chairman of Ejigbo Local Government. I was the Director in-charge of Access 57, a programme dedicated to beat the drums of our Local Governments activities and their administration.
So, he is a grassroots person; somebody, who is adequately fit to sell the government of Lagos State. This is an election year, Mr. Bamigbetan is a person, who speaks the language that the grassroots people understand, and he would also use the social media platforms to sell the government. I look forward to working with him. He is very humble to the core.
The respect I have for him, he has earned over the years as a hardworking Journalist and politician. So, I look forward to working with him.
Can you share with us your immediate reaction when you heard that he had been appointed the new Commissioner for Information and Strategy?
It wasn’t something that I wasn’t expecting. I wasn’t surprised, but something just went through my mind, because 3 weeks earlier, I made him pay for a particular programme on LTV. I said to him that he had to pay; I learnt he was going to pay other stations, so he has to pay LTV as well and he didn’t mind. He paid for 1 year, it’s a programme on Community Development. So having him as my Commissioner now, he knows that LTV has to make money and that I am very happy about it. When he came on board, he didn’t even think about it, we just started working together. He is my boss, he is also my friend and I am very proud of him.
Coming to you now, how has it been for you to get to where you are today as the GM of LTV 8?
It’s been slow but steady, in fact, this is my 35th year in service. December this year, I will retire as a public servant. I started working at the age of 20, so it’s been slow, I had seen people in their 30s becoming General Manager, but I thank the Almighty that I am able to achieve that too. It’s been interesting, it has been challenging, it has been enjoyable. I have enjoyed every moment that I have worked in Lagos State Television. It has contributed to the woman that I have become.
You have been part of various transformations that have taken place at LTV, how much impact do you think this has had on the station?
Let me tell you something, everything that we have achieved in the last 3 years is owing to the interest and support of his Excellency, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. AkinwunmiAmbode. He has expended so much money into making the station what it is today. For many years, successive governments did not invest in Lagos State Televison, but when this administration came into power, His Excellency made it known to us that ‘this is my station and it has to be able to compete favourably with other stations in Nigeria’, and this he has done. We are on the verge of taking delivery of our OB Van. The Process of Digitilisation has started in earnest, he has bought equipment for us and he is always doing things to boost the morale of staff. I am so happy that as the General Manager, I have His Excellency, Mr. AkinwunmiAmbode, as my Governor. It’s been most interesting and most fulfilling for me in my career.
You said you would be retiring this year?
December this year by the grace of God.
So, what is the LTV of your dreams? What will you like to put in place before you leave?
More programmes, programmes that people would love, that would keep them glued to their seats watching LTV. Also, my primary assignment is to create awareness on the activities of the state government. Lagos Television is the station that people should tune to when they want information about Lagos State Government and that we have been able to do. Anything that you want about Lagos State, LTV is the station to tune to. There are so many things that people are doing out of ignorance, take the Land Use Act, for instance, a lot of people do not know about it. Taxation, people complain about double taxation and all that, we educate people with our programmes. Programmes like know your rights, help you know what to do. On LTV8, we have mini-features, at least, 3 or 4 or 5 every day on different aspects of governance. So, when you tune to Lagos Television, you educate yourself about governance in Lagos State, including your rights. At the same time, we don’t bore people with much of that, we have interesting other programmes too.
How have you been able to maintain your youthful look?
Thank you very much for the compliments. I think everything that we have achieved in life is owing to the Grace of God. It’s only when you are in good health that you can look good. So, I thank God for everything, and I want to say that I put everything in the hands of God and because of that I have rest of mind. We have no control over anything in life. It is by the grace of God that we are standing here talking.
