My Oga at the top

The word Oga is a Nigerian Pidgin word which means "senior or boss." The phrase My Oga at the top may be used to show respect to someone in a position of authority.[1]

For example, in a question like this: "When will you pay my debt?", an appropriate reply would be: "My Oga at the top has not paid my salary."[2]

The phrase is common in Nigeria, used in public and government offices, and became very popular when Channels TV's morning program Sunrise Daily interviewed Obafaiye Shem, the Lagos State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on the need to know the correct website of the corp to avoid misleading job seekers.[3][4][5] He was asked, "What is the website of the NSCDC?" And he responded, "I cannot categorically tell you one now." He was asked again, "Do you mean that NSCDC has multiple websites?" He responded, "We can't have multiple websites but I cannot tell you one now, and my Oga at the top say is another one and the one we are going to make use of will be made known by my Oga at the top." Nigerians considered his response inappropriate and it went viral.[6][7]

References
  1. "How the phrase "My Oga At The Top" came about [Pictures + Videos]". netnaija.com. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  2. "Michael Irene: "My Oga at the Top" Syndrome". DailyPost Nigeria. 16 March 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  3. "A Nigerian Story Of My Oga At The Top By Prince Charles Dickson". Sahara Reporters. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  4. "Civil Defence suspends Lagos State Commandant over "My Oga at the top" comment". DailyPost Nigeria. 16 March 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  5. "'My Oga at the top' interview, professional – Channels TV". The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  6. Simeon Christian Chukwu. "Before We Pardon My Oga At The Top". TheNigerianVoice. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  7. "My OGA at the top goes viral". The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
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