TheCable

Shem Obafiaye, recently promoted and retired officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), who made the viral ‘Oga At The Top’ remark, says his wife has patented the phrase.

He also said reactions from the interview scarred him psychologically.

A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention or intellectual property trademark.

FROM TV STUDIO TO VIRALITY

In 2013, Obafiaye, who was then the Lagos commandant of the NSCDC, was a guest on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television breakfast programme, when he was asked to provide the website of the NSCDC.

He stuttered and dithered before producing the wrong web address.

“The website is… excuse me… wait… it can only be made known by my Oga at the top,” he said, an index finger pointing to the heavens and a broad smile to boot.

But there was more after he was probed further by the show hosts.

“I cannot categorically tell you one now, and my Oga at the top would give you another one,” he added.

“Okay, the website is ww.nscdc…that’s all…”

The ‘Oga At The Top’ phrase went viral afterwards and was picked up by the streets.

The remark instantly became a meme, morphed into danceable tunes for parties, 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 said he was handed a month’s leave by his boss after the clip went viral.

He added that he obtained a certificate patenting the phrase, saying jokingly that he would charge anyone using the phrase henceforth.

He spoke in a chat with Channels TV on Tuesday.

“We have the certificate [of patent]. My wife did it,” Obafiaye said.

“We have the certificate at home. So from now, anywhere I hear ‘my Oga at the top’ na money oo.”

Obafiaye also admitted that the episode was a bit too much for him.

“It has to [affect you psychologically], but I had never gone through such a thing in my life,” he said.

“But the words of my cousin that: ‘I know you have a future. If you are ready for national recognition, you should also be ready for national embarrassment, harassment and insult’, comforted me.”

On Friday, Obafiaye was promoted to the rank of deputy commandant-general and was retired almost immediately.