by Rachel Ogbu

It might have been the joke of the year but sadly the Lagos State Commandant of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Obafaiye Shem, the man behind the “#MyOgaAtTheTop” sensation has been suspended from office, new reports say.

According to sources at the Corps headquarters in Abuja, of Nigerian paper, Vanguard gathered that the Shem was suspended following pressures from its supervising ministry over the conduct of the Lagos Commandant in the famous Channels TV interview on the Sunrise programme.

The Corps leadership apparently held that Shem’s outing had put the NSCDC in bad light and had apparently created a committee to investigate the incident. It is believed Shem is unaware of his suspension as he is said to be bereaved and attending his father’s burial at the weekend, in Kogi State.

But earlier today we reported that some top officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and the Civil Defense, Immigration, Prisons and Fire Service Board (CIPFB) in charge of discipline, promotion and recruitment in the para-military agencies who spoke to LEADERSHIP Sunday on condition of anonymity, said despite the public perception of the much publicised error, there was no group to championing the removal or suspension of the commandant.

[READ: This is just unbelievable: See how the Civil Defence commandant embarrassed himself on live TV (WATCH, TRANSCRIPT)]

[READ: “My oga, who art at the top, hallowed be thy name”: SEE Top 10 tweets on Civil Defence commandant’s TV flop]

The Vanguard reports:

Shem ordeal started when he appeared on Channels Television morning programme ‘Sunrise’ and when asked the NSCDC website he said:

“Hmmm, the website is, excuse me, my Oga at the top knows the website”, he again, cleared his throat and said: “My Oga at the top is working on the website and I don’t have them”.

When the presenters insisted that he give a functioning website address of the para-military, he dropped the bombshell: “ww.nscdc, that’s all”. Immediately, the interview went viral and has become so popular to the extent that t-shirts with “my oga at the top” insignia has been produced and selling like hot cake across the country. Some DJ’s and musicians have done what they called remix of the interview.

When contacted, the Deputy Commandant General, (Administration) Engr. Suleiman Akanbi Bello, said he was not aware of the suspension as he is currently at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, for a training programme.