Ebere Wabara

“THE worst human being is a policeman or soldier who will take arms from his own formations and sell it (them) or hide it (them)….”

Maritime: “Apapa Customs remits N1.875trn into (to) FG’s coffers in 10 months”

“Ladies of St. Mulumba Nigeria to hold annual convention in…” Where, please?

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the entire family of late (the late) Senator…”  

“Nothing will work as long as we keep tying the level of exchange rate to our consumptions.” The last word in the extract is uncountable.

“…were the one (ones) going to Parliament (unnecessary capitalization).”

“We decry the national embarrassment cased her by the gross negligent (negligence) of duty by AFN and NOC officials.”

“Trade policy yielding result as balance hit (hits) N6.5trn…”

“Forced retirement: Police officers lament IG’s non compliance (non-compliance) with court (court’s) ruling”

“All eyes on Reps over constitution review exercise” Please delete ‘exercise’ in the interest of word economy.

Yet another set of headline foibles: “KWASU partners USA, China (Chinese) coys on solar energy”

“Kogi farmers’ association allege (alleges) diversion of N1bn agric fund”

“Do they know it’s International Women’s Day” What of the question mark? 

The Nation On Sunday of May 25 combated the English language in the following entries: “Somalia (Somali) president attacked by al-Shabab”

“…you have raised the bar of governance which will ever remain difficult for mediocre (mediocrities/mediocrists/the mediocre) to attain….” (Full-page advertisement) ‘Mediocre’ is an adjective.

“Benue 2027: PDP at crossroads over governorship candidate” This way: at a/the crossroads

 “Nigerians are, however, skeptical about the level of compliance to (with) the laws guiding the scheme….”

“The governing council, members, management, staff & students of Osun College of Education, Ilesa (another comma) felicitates (how?)….”

“As a symbol, your strides lead the way and inspires (what is going on here?) the hope of a brighter and rewarding future.” (Half-page advertorial by the above institution)

“Any one (sic) with useful information (police cliché: would it have been useless information?) about his where about (sic) (whereabouts) should….” (Full-page advertorial by the FIRS)

Daily Independent online of May 23 circulated headline and body flaws: “Those who say Ibadan don’t (doesn’t) serve gov twice are poor students of history”

“LASU students, JAF protest over (against/at/about) fee hike”

Let us extend our searchlight to Leadership of May 23: “…work for the restoration of peace in (to) northern Nigeria.”

From the editorial to opinion page: “…the citizenry still needs (need) his enormous wealth of experience to stir us to path of rectitude.”

“All Anambra (All-Anambra) LG soccer championship set to kick off”

“…we had been invited on (to/for) a facility tour by the governor.” 

“I thought the governor would ride in his official car, or join us in the bus as many other governors have (had) done on trips to other states.”

“We went round Owerri metropolis, seeing state of the art (state-of-the-art) schools….”

“Issues in the Chibok schoolgirls abduction” A syntactic surgery: Issues in Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction

Wrong: Face-me-I-face-you house

Right: Rooming house  

“Royal father disowns vigilante (vigilance) group” (DAILY TRUST, May 23)

The Guardian of May 22 toyed with morphological truth: “Parents of abducted female students of the Government Girls (Girls’) Secondary School….” The Guardian must be underestimating its readers’ intelligence: would it have been male students in a girls’ school?

“The aggrieved and traumatised (traumatized, preferably) parents spoke at (on) the premises of the destroyed school when….”

“Umar, Southern Taraba leaders trade words over frequent crisis (crises)”

“Nigeria has best disease surveillance (disease-surveillance) system in Africa”

“SURE-P assures over funding of East-West road” Who did the agency assure?

“…the ordinary poor man in the street….” The ‘man in the street’ does not require any embellishment!

Finally from The Guardian: “…the NJC is a body which every lawyer revere (reveres).”                                                            

Next is The PUNCH of May 22 with this faux pas: “FG wants African disease 

Leadership of May 22 circulated dozens of inaccuracies: “He said about 150 parents have (had) made spirited attempts last week in search of the abducted girls….”

“He said government has (had) brought food items to the town for….”

“…the case against the Nigerian was serious on the ground (grounds) that he had confessed that….”

“FCT suspends controversial ‘park and pay’ policy” No controversy: ‘park-and-pay’ policy

“MASSOB strikes out ex-Gov Obi’s name from awardees list” Get it right: awardees’ list

“UN raises alarm (the alarm) over ethnic slaughter in South Sudan”

“…restoring sanity in (to) the land….” 

The next three wrongdoings are from the opinion pages: “…unless they steal because the varsity has been prized (priced) out of the reach of the poor.”

“…Tinubu to take the bull by the horn (horns).”

“I want to wholeheartedly congratulate President Bola Tinubu for (on/upon) keeping his word….”

“Untold story of E. K. Clark (Clark’s) son’s kidnap, freedom”

“…as you project the vast potentials (potential) of ‘ndi-Anambra’, we wish to appreciate our governor….”

“…Chukwu on his 52nd Birthday anniversary….” Either 52nd Birthday or 52nd Anniversary (the two words cannot co-function).

“Sex enhancing drugs everywhere” Insight: Sex-enhancing drugs everywhere (Otherwise, it will be sex that will be enhancing the drugs)! 

“Pomp and glamour as Lagos Traders (Traders’) Cup kicks off” Sports: either pomp and ceremony or pomp and circumstance or just pomp

Vanguard of May 18 goofed two times: “He can still warm (worm) himself to his benefactor in the true spirit of love and reconciliation.”

“He should deploy his energies to (in) rebuilding….”

“…as Kogi and Benue states have experienced it at one time or the other (one time or another).” 

“While a section of the media has performed creditably well….” Take off either ‘creditably’ or ‘well’ as both terms cannot co-exist.

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