Foluke Shem-Obafaye, gospel singer and wife of Oyo State (formerly Lagos State) Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr Shem Obafaiye has announced plans to release a musical album on the ‘Oga at the top’ saga that shook the nation and her husband about a year ago.
Foluke, who started singing at the age of 13, in a quick chat with Tribune newspaper said “The first track is entitled Meet me at the top, my husband said that I should go ahead and do whatever I want to do and he would give me all the support I needed.”
When asked how she related with him during the ‘Oga at the top’ period, she said “I was praying fervently for him. That was the only thing I did because I knew that it was only prayer that could help. I know that when you find yourself in any situation you don’t like, it is only prayer that can uphold you.”
On how the family overcame the saga “He overcame it through words of encouragement from people – ranging from our fathers in the Lord to friends and family. A lot of people stood up for him that time. Men of God were also interceding for him, because it was a set-up. I’m not saying it was a set up from anybody, but from the pit of hell, because before anything happens physically, it has been settled spiritually. We all know that.
We are not holding anybody responsible. I am even thanking them for bringing it out. We appreciate those who sent us prayers and even thank those who abused us. This nation would be at the top soon. We thank them for uplifting my husband. April 16 last year, they said I went to Channels television to make trouble with them, saying my children could not go to school and I had requested for a transfer for them – but it was all lies.
”That very day that they said I went to Channels, I was in the village; I was in my husband’s village with my husband for his father’s burial, and that village is a remote village where network transmission was bad. They call the place Ayetoro Kiri in Kogi State; but it was on air. People started calling me from all over the world, asking me why I went there. I was shocked. I started explaining where I was to the people who called me.
”Some even reported that I was not able to go to the market out of fear but they were all lies. We were staying at UNILAG Estate in Magodo then. At times, in the evening, I would put on my shorts, baseball cap and go to the market. Sometimes I would not even go in my car. I would see lots of people discussing about my husband, but it did not bother me. I would buy whatever I wanted to buy and go back home. In fact, we were very free. My husband would go out and come back without any disturbance. So we did not feel bad because we knew that it was from the pit of hell. We did not even hold anyone responsible for it. That is one thing I want you to emphasise. The only thing we did then was to pray and hold onto God and the Lord God Almighty was able to intervene.”
Defending her husband’s statement on TV back then, she said “When he said ww.nscdc, it was not that he did not know it. That day, someone was saying that it was God that saved my husband; that if he had opened his mouth to disclose the website, it would have caused him his job and that was what my husband was trying to avoid.
You know it was a live programme; it was unfortunate that they did not play it from the beginning. They just started the airplay from that point. It was not that he did not know the website. How can a grown up person not know such details? He is well educated; he has three Masters Degrees. How could he not have known the website of the Civil Defence? He did not want to mention it and that was why he tried to push himself; but he knew it was a live programme. I’m telling you the truth.”
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