Shem Obafiaye, an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), who made the viral “Oga At The Top” remark, has been promoted to the rank of deputy commandant-general.
In 2013, Obafiaye, who was then the Lagos commandant of the NSCDC, appeared as a guest on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television breakfast programme, and stuttered when he was asked to provide the website of the NSCDC.
“The website is… excuse me… wait… it can only be made known by my Oga at the top,” he said, with an index finger pointing skywards and a broad smile to boot.
But there was more after he was pressed to elucidate by the show hosts.
“I cannot categorically tell you one now and my Oga at the top would give you another one,” he added.
‘Oga At The Top’ went viral afterwards and hit the streets to rip-roaring effect.
The phrase instantly became a meme, morphed into danceable tunes for club goers, skit makers could not get enough of it, and it was emblazoned on T-shirts, complete with a caricature of the man behind it all.
Obafiaye was redeployed from the Lagos command of the NSCDC shortly afterwards.
Ten years on and ‘Oga At The Top’ is getting a promotion.
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the minister of interior, decorated Obafiaye alongside two of his colleagues — Fasiu Adeyinka, ex-Kwara commandant; and Raji, former Imo commandant; as deputy commandants-general.
“As the chairman of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), I decorated the three new Deputy Commandants General of the NSCDC,”
The minister said on Wednesday.
When we checked the NSCDC website while this story was being filed, the following message was boldy written on the homepage: ‘This website is under construction’.
On December 1, the federal government approved the promotion of 32,361 personnel of all ranks in the parastatals under the ministry of interior.
