‘Oga At The Top’ Saga Affected Me Psychologically, My Wife has Patented Phrase – Shem Obafiaye

Shem Obafiaye, the retired Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) officer behind the infamous ‘Oga At The Top’ remark, recently disclosed that his wife has patented the viral phrase, while revealing the psychological toll the incident took on him.

In a 2013 interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Obafiaye, then Lagos NSCDC commandant, struggled to provide the organization’s website, culminating in the now-famous phrase, “The website is… excuse me… wait… it can only be made known by my Oga at the top.” The phrase swiftly became a cultural sensation, evolving into memes, dance tunes, and T-shirt slogans.

A decade later, Obafiaye, speaking with Channels TV on Tuesday, reflected on the aftermath. He revealed that his boss granted him a month’s leave following the viral incident. Additionally, he humorously mentioned obtaining a patent certificate for the phrase, declaring that he would charge anyone using it henceforth.

“We have the certificate [of patent]. My wife did it,” Obafiaye shared. “So from now, anywhere I hear ‘my Oga at the top’ na money oo.”

Despite the humorous turn, Obafiaye admitted that the episode had a psychological impact on him. “It has to [affect you psychologically], but I had never gone through such a thing in my life,” he acknowledged.

However, he found solace in the words of his cousin, who told him, “If you are ready for national recognition, you should also be ready for national embarrassment, harassment, and insult.”

In a positive turn of events, Obafiaye was promoted to the rank of deputy commandant-general on Friday, marking a milestone in his career after the viral episode.