” I GOT INTO BROADCASTING BY GOD’S DESIGN”
Meet the classy, sassy and sublime glamorous TV girl whose looks captivates her viewers, illuminating our sitting rooms as she radiates dazzling, calm and confident proficiency as she positively glows in the delivery of news. Seun says hard work is the only way to achieve success. Have an insight into her exciting and enchanting life so many ladies dream to have.

KB. You are known as Seun Olagunju, but who exactly is Seun?

SO. Someone once asked me that question and I answered ” Seun Olagunju is your girl next door who happens to be on TV”. I am down to earth, open as a book, especially with my emotions. I don’t laugh when I am angry, I let you know that I am angry. I don’t pretend. I am very shy (many people find that hard to believe though because of the nature of my job) and I don’t harbour any negative emotions like jealousy or hatred. I hate idleness and gossips.

KB Give us a brief peep into your background. Where exactly are you from?

SO. I am from Owo, Ondo state but I grew up in Abeokuta, Ogun State and Lagos. I attended primary and secondary schools in Abeokuta and Lagos.

KB. Which university did you attend and what is your discipline?

SO. I got my first degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan and I have my master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos.

KB. What informed your choice of study and university?

SO. Well, I studied Communication and Language Arts by God’s design. I wanted to study Law but God had other designs for me. I got into the university quite young. I got into the university of Ibadan four months after I left secondary school at the age of seventeen (17 ) so I thought I could change my course any time I wanted since I had age on my side, but I fell in love with Communication Arts and decided not to change.

KB. How did you get into broadcasting?

SO. I can say I got into broadcasting also by God’s design ( I don’t like to say by accident anymore). I actually prayed against being a journalist /broadcaster when I was growing up. My late mum was a journalist and her job took her away from home a lot. My mother worked with the then Radio Nigeria and then NTA. The poor remuneration was not commensurate with the quantum of work. I didn’t like the profession and never thought I would practice it even when I was studying the course. But then a friend convinced me to go for an audition when BCOS FM was to be revived while I was at the University of Ibadan. It took a while but I eventually decided to go, out of boredom because of the incessant strikes in the universities then due to agitations against military rule. I was hired the same day and that was the beginning. I later moved to OGBC. I also had a stint at Galaxy TV Ibadan, worked at DAAR communications(AIT and Raypower) and then NTA .

KB. Growing up, you must have admired certain personalities that prompted your interest in broadcasting.

SO. Yes I did. I admired Sienne All-well Brown, Ronke Ayuba and my mum Kayo Idowu. But like I said earlier, I didn’t have interest in broadcasting.

KB. How was your first day behind camera? Were you nervous? Did you stutter or were you calm and confident?
SO. My first day was actually behind the microphone. I started my career on radio. Of course, every first timer experiences some form of nervousness, but mine lasted only a few seconds before I started enjoying myself. My first TV experience was a recorded program ( I presented an entertainment program with Isaac Brown on Galaxy TV Ibadan) so that wasn’t much of a problem. My first time on news on TV was ok too because I had already built up a lot of confidence and had made my name on radio.

KB. You are Seun Olagunju, who is this Olagunju who made your heart skip and eventually swept you down the aisle?

SO. He is Dr. Kayode Olagunju, Assistant Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps.

KB. The first time you set your eyes on him, what simply went through your mind?

SO. Mine definitely wasn’t love at first sight. I met him on the job. He came for a late night show on Ray power 2. Then he was the sector commander of FRSC, Lagos. I was the duty continuity announcer and I had just signed on the program and barely gave him a second look. He was there with a girl and I remember thinking he was a married man who brought in a girlfriend to a radio studio. It turned out that he wasn’t married and that was his girlfriend. Apparently they were already having some problems then. He gave all of us in the studio copies of the Highway Code and slipped his card into my hand. I just completely ignored it, thinking what effrontery! After that he would send his PSO or friends to me because there was no GSM then. I could only reach him but he couldn’t reach me easily yet I refused to call him. I gave him a really tough time. Eventually I found out he wasn’t married and had left the girl I saw him with. We became friends and the rest they say is history.

KB. Some qualities must have attracted you, what is the basic chemistry?

SO. Kayode is down to earth. Very honest, kind and loving.

KB. What did he say to you the very first day he lighted the fire that burns in your heart?

SO. He told me immediately he wanted to marry me and I told him I wasn’t ready for marriage. Obviously he got his wish.

KB. What is your definition of love?

SO. Love to me is the feeling of mutual respect, understanding and apathy. If you put yourself in your partner’s position you wouldn’t hurt them.

KB. You are a wife, a mother, broadcaster, a career woman. How do you juggle all together without one affecting the other?

SO. Oh that was a big challenge, especially when my children were much younger. My job is highly demanding. But I spend time with my family. We try to go on holidays twice a year. If it is too tight, once. I take the getaways as sacrosanct so I can bond with my children. I had a loving mother who made it clear to us her children that we were her life. That love gave me a lot of confidence and my positive outlook in life. I intend to bequeath the same on my children.

KB. As the wife of an officer in the corps, how supportive are you?

SO. I am very supportive or else the home front would suffer. He used to get transferred a lot and I needed to be the pillar holding the home.

KB. You are married to an ijeha man, we know in Yorubaland that the ijeshas are strong willed, how true is this from the perspective of your husband? What brings out the raging bull in him?

SO. Dishonesty and lies. Yes he is very strong willed, in fact I can describe him as stubborn but that is always based on conviction.

KB. Your husband is a thespian with a great sense of humor, he certainly must have been putting so much dimples on your cheek.

SO. We both actually are great friends. We make each other laugh a lot. We are always ‘gisting’ about everything and anything from our jobs to politics, sports, the children, just anything that catches our fancy.

KB. What qualities you still love about your husband several years into the marriage?
SO. All the qualities I mentioned earlier.

KB. Is your husband the typical African man who is emotionally anaemic or the modern romantic African? Does he say sorry when he is wrong? How often does he express his love?

SO. Although I cannot describe him as a contemporary romantic man, but he shows me in his own way he loves me. And he says it too.

KB. Your first daughter is a spitting image of her father, do they have similar traits or character?

SO. She is like him inside out. Kind, loving, jovial and very likeable. They both make friends easily. I receive calls from children on my phone saying they want to speak with her. I had to buy her a mobile phone when she was about eight so I could have some peace. She is very unlike me. I am reserved and shy despite being on TV. She is all grown now but the traits are still there. She is a University undergraduate in the UK.

KB. The nightmare of every officer’s wife is the transfer, how did you cope with his absence?

SO. His first transfer after our marriage came when I was pregnant with our third child and it was from Lagos to Abuja and shortly thereafter, Adamawa which was quite devastating for me. I was about eight months pregnant and I needed him more at that time. But subconsciously I got ‘used’ to it. Of course it is not easy at all but I knew what to expect marrying an officer.

KB. How would you advise younger officers wives on how to cope with the transfers?

SO. Anyone marrying anyone whose job entails mandatory transfer should not expect miracles that her husband would be passed over. In fact, if you pray for that you may hindering his progress. You should instead pray for guidance for him. Don’t attempt to monitor him lest you give yourself unnecessary high blood pressure. Love is all about trust and a marriage actually thrives on it. That is not to say you should get sloppy. When he comes home, watch out for signs that he may be slipping away from you. Go visiting from time to time, let your presence be felt at his base even if you are not there. Spice up your long distance romance with loving messages. Be free with your husband and let him know your physical and emotional needs ( after all he is your husband) that will constantly keep his mind at home and make him realize he has a loving wife to return to.

KB. No woman wants her territory invaded, how have you been able to guard yours?

SO. I told you earlier that love is about trust. I have no feeling of insecurity so I have no need to guard my territory. It is only women with very low self-esteem who make life difficult for their husbands by being excessively jealous.

KB. Some say Seun is beautiful, some say she is glamorous. To me she is beautiful and glamorous. How do you create this look?

SO. Thanks for the compliment. The looks, I got from my parents, the style I imbibed from my mum. My mum was a very beautiful and stylish woman. From a very young age, I subconsciously imbibed her style. I create my style very effortlessly because it’s been with me for a long time.

KB. How does your mood influence your dressing?

SO. Unfortunately I can’t afford to let my mood dictate my dressing because of the nature of my job. I learnt that the hard way. The day I decide to say I am not in the mood for detail that is when I run into more people who recognize me. And of course people judge you from the way they see you, so I try as much as possible to be mindful of my dressing when I am going out.

KB. Some have weakness for shoes, some handbags, some jewellery , what is your weakness?

SO My absolute weakness are shoes! I have a lot of clothes because of my profession but my weakness is shoes. I also love jewellery and perfumes. I also love designer bags.

KB. What is your favorite perfume?

SO. None in particular, although I could pick Creed’s Love in Black.

KB What is your beauty routine like?

SO. I have no beauty routine. I wish I had the luxury of time to indulge myself, but I am too busy.

KB. What are the best words ever said to you?

SO. ” You are the best in your profession”

KB. Who is dearest to your heart?

SO. My family.

KB. Tell me your happiest day.

SO That would be the day I had my first child. The experience was so surreal, the feeling indescribable.

KB What fond memories do you treasure?

SO. The times I spent with my family on holidays. Walking almost anonymously ( l said almost because any where I go, along comes someone who recognizes me from home!) I also cherish when my children said their first words, took their first steps etc. Those are treasured moments money cannot buy.

KB. What is your worst nightmare?

SO. I don’t even want to think about that!

KB What gives you the creeps?

SO. Dark alleys or enclosures. I guess I am claustrophobic.

KB. You are a well travelled lady, how many countries have you visited and which ones are your favorites?

SO. I have lost count. Paris and New York are my favorites.

KB. Where would you love for a romantic getaway with your husband?

SO. Obudu cattle ranch.

KB. How do you relax with your family?

SO. Once we are home, our children are always in our room. They have carved out a playground for themselves in our room. Seeing them doing their thing is actually relaxing for me. One moment they are playing, the next they are quarreling, then they are friends again. Quite interesting. When it gets overwhelming, I send them out.

KB. What is your driving force, your passion?

SO. It is the burning need to make a difference. I actually want to succeed in life so I can touch the lives of as many people as I can.

KB. If you weren’t a broadcaster, what would you have been?

SO. Like I said, I would have been a Lawyer. I guess I went back to study International Law and Diplomacy to please my mother and somehow make up for my refusal to change to law.

KB Being married is not a deterrent to men who want to date you because you are beautiful and famous, how do you handle male admirers?

SO. Men will always be men. I always draw the line and make them know that a handshake does not get to the elbow, politely of course.

KB. You preach a better sermon with your life, how would you advise those who look up to you as a role model?

SO Hard work is the only way to achieve success. In my career I have seen lots of women who depend on male bosses to cut corners and get what they didn’t deserve fall by the wayside and destroy what would have been a great career when those ones eventually dump them and move on to others. I am proud to say I have gotten this far in my career because I worked very hard for everything I have achieved. I had to pay some price for being principled though but I triumphed on the long run. Through dint of hard work and determination, I have become one of the most recognized people in my career with many national and international awards including the very prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award which I had won and nominated for multiple times. My advice to aspiring journalists/ broadcasters is that to succeed in this profession, be sure you know what you are doing, develop yourself, work very hard and become so good that anywhere you find yourself, your ability will speak for you and the sky would be the beginning for you.

KB How is life after forty and what would you do differently? How do you see yourself at 50? What are your goals for the next decade?

SO. I don’t feel much different though a bit calmer. I see many things from a more mature perspective now. I don’t think I’d live my life differently but I certainly would not have made some choices. I also wish my mum is still here to reap the fruits of her very hard labour.
God willing, I hope to steadily build on my modest achievements in the decade and be able to contribute more to the development of this country.

@ readers. This interview was conducted by me and was first published in RSL magazine and has been updated for this blog.