“The management of Fidelity Bank Plc (PLC) yesterday, (otiose comma) refuted rumours making the round (sic) that the Board of Directors has (had)….” Three variants: do the rounds (British informal); make the rounds (American version); and go the rounds (British formal expression)—the choice is yours!
“According to the President, war against drug abuse is more deadly (is deadlier) than the insurgency in the North East….”
“APGA chieftain urges aggrieved aspirants to sheath (sheathe) swords”
“Call for self defence (self-defence) invitation to anarchy”
“The constitutional role of government is to protect its people. Transferring that responsibility to the individual is an abdication of their (its) responsibility.”
“FG has no grouse with Ondo electorate” FG has no grouse about (not with)….
“Buhari issues marching order to cement producers” Truth and Reason: marching orders.
“Salute to a great leader and distinguish political icon @ 78” For the sake of lexical exactitude: distinguished political icon.
“LASAA’s double standards” (DAILY INDEPENDENT Headline, May 16) Fixed expression: double standard.
From last week’s Saturday edition of Independent comes this caption disaster: “Chief Justice of…at the burial of his late wife…yesterday.” Please, dear reader, tell me, what is “late” doing here? This is inexcusable! Could he have buried his wife alive?
“This is crucial because our steps have been faulty from the onset (outset).” (DAILY TRUST Back Page, May 12)
The next four blunders are from SATURDAY TRIBUNE of July 3: “…the noise pollution that accompany (accompanies) the use and subsequent rise in the level of stress.”
“I am usually on (in) my farm and I don’t think you….”
“He spoke on Supersports about his achievements and experiences on the saddle of CAF Champions League second round….” SATURDAY Sports: in the saddle.
“…Idoko has commended the board of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) over (for) the successful organization of the first round of the 2020/2021 league season.”
“Bill Gates: The billionaire with unparallel love for the less privileged” (National News Banner, May 12) Exceptional philanthropy: unparalleled love
“UNIBEN alumni commends INEC” Get it right: UNIBEN alumni commend, but UNIBEN alumni association commends. No muddle, gentlemen of the Press!
“Man condoles ex-wife” I thought we had conquered this level of scholarship: condole with or simply console.
“Sometimes (sometime) ago, twenty-three wise men met at the Federal Secretariat….”
“As police beams (beam) searchlight on some formal groups, associations and organizations….”
“In his critical sermon at the occasion.…” Get it right: on the occasion.
“In 1996, ASUU, apart from demanding for the review employment conditions…” PMB and varsity education: delete ‘for’ in the interest of grammatical sanity.
“The Yorubas like I said on this platform last Friday.…” This way: The Yoruba, as (not like) I said, on this platform last Friday….
“…the good foundation laid for take-off and hopefully with what we have read and saw (seen) in the media….”
“He sacked the Shonekan administration and assumed the reign of power as Head of State.” This is the way to go: reins of government.
“They like parading themselves in state-of-the-art cars, leaving (living) in mansions and dictating the economy (how?) of the country with their loots (loot).” Do we resort to vernacular, in the light of the foregoing morphological tragedies?
“Thrown into panic, the driver of my vehicle managed to find a save (safe) haven from the portion of the road lawfully meant for Abuja-bound motorist (motorists).”
“… talkless of (let alone) those actually chased into them by the escorts of the ‘big’ men.”
The next outrageous error is from Vanguard of May 19: “We urge that investigations be launched into the circumstances that led to the embarrassment and ask that those involved be brought to book to forestall a re-occurrence.” Let us foreclose a recurrence of ‘Eze-Goes-to-School’ blunders.
“The last but not the least is….” An extra: the last but not least. That is the correct expression.
“She is an alumnus of the most popular secondary school in Lagos….” Standard style: alumna.
The next six blunders are from the sports pages of the Saturday Newspaper: “Flying Eagles (Eagles’) sloppy play bothered (bordered) on the fact that.…”
“I seized (took, preferably) the opportunity to congratulate him for (on or upon) the very great successes at the recent polls.…”
“…the smallish player was the life wire (sic) of the Flying Eagles….” Nigeria ’99: livewire.
“The screening of the prospective footballers continued with the captain playing the role of the ball boy, perhaps with the believe that.…” Change ‘believe’ to ‘belief’ in the interest of grammatical sanity.
“President Muhammudu Buhari has joined the bandwagon of progress.” Progressive English: climb or jump (not join) on/aboard the bandwagon.
The next two blunders are from the DAILY TRUST of May 18: “Today, the Whiteman’s problem has been fully entrenched in the dark continent, especially south of the Sahara.” Standard expression: on the Dark Continent
“Abia police warns (warn) on tinted windscreen”
“3 state-own industries to begin production soon” This way: state-owned industries.
“Drivers of luxurious (luxury) buses are not so often stopped or extorted.”
“Such accusation levelled on (against/at) the FRSC is, however, an exception rather than the rule.”
“…the commission was poised to enforce all road violations.” This is sheer linguistic monstrosity! Perhaps, it is only in Nigeria–where anything is plausible and possible–that violations (instead of laws and regulations) can be enforced.
“Adebanjo had been involved in a ghastly motor accident that claimed the lives of over five people almost immediately along (on) the popular Ibadan-Lagos expressway.” When lives are lost in any vehicular mishap, it is a fatal (not ghastly) accident.
“Some few years later after I had almost forgotten about the Navy….” ‘Some‘and ‘few’ cannot co-function.
“So when this new uniform group was set up in 1988 by the Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida administration, I have (had) no doubt in my mind (where else?) that this would certainly work because of the calibre of people behind it.”
“People in power in this country atimes (at times) amuse me by their….”
Oguntunase: A memorial
TODAY, July 14, 2017: Pa Bayo Solomon Oguntunase’s remains were interred. I remember him especially today as always. Nobody has yet—if ever—filled the ellipsis and vacuum he abruptly left four years ago! I strongly believe that he is gracefully resting in peace. That is my eternal supplication for this incomparable English language activist and my humble trainer. There can never be another Baba! We shall meet again to part no more whenever Christ returns. And so shall it be.