You are welcome this weekend. “Afenifere, M’Belt Forum, Ohaneze, Sani, hit northern govs, leaders” Nobody has any right or licence to break the interconnectedness between a subject and the accompanying verb. Therefore, delete the comma after ‘Sani’.
“The explanation by the minister notwithstanding, government should not shy away from telling Nigerians those sponsoring terrorism in the country as the UAE has done recently.” Either ‘the UAE had done’ or simply ‘the UAE did recently’. (Editorial, September 29) An aside: are the suspects sponsoring ‘terrorism’ or ‘terrorists’? Is it a thin line? I do not think so. Join the conversation with a meaningful narrative.
“Terrorism financing is (has been) a major issue of concern in Nigeria in the last few years” (Source: as above)
“A close watch at what the Chinese has (had) done in the past 43 years….” (OPINION, September 29) Alternatively in ABC form: what the Chinese did in the past 43 years.
“ANAMBRA GUBER: Uba Campaign Organization tasks APGA on issue based (issue-based) campaigns”
“The Board, Management and Staff of Juhel Nigeria Ltd. join millions of Nigerians especially our numerous customers and distributors on (in) the celebration of….”
“We, therefore (another comma) implore Nigerians to be conscious of their health by having regular health check (checks or check-ups) to avoid sudden heart failure.”
“The doctors, under (on) the platform of the….”
“On behalf of myself, my family, the government and good people of Ogun State, I celebrate….” A rewrite: On behalf of my family, the government and good people of Ogun State, I celebrate the impactful life of….” This civil service language culture where a secretary signs on behalf of the minister must stop! When a man talks about his family, it inseparably includes him—he cannot be a distinct entity in a congratulatory advertorial and in all other circumstances.
“Abia APC flay (flays) Apugo for inciting party members against national leadership”
“Ondo govt. fixes Akure-Owo expressway amidst (amid) gridlock”
“Unknown gunmen kidnap nursing mother, lock up 3 children” ‘Unknown gunmen’ smacks of thoughtlessness in collocation! How do you know the gunmen? Why not safely, correctly and soundly write ‘Gunmen kidnap….’ The excerpted blunder is simply ridiculous! How do you know or unmask gunmen? Apart from members of the armed forces, which other gunmen do we formally know?
“Osimhen, Benzema finish neck to neck in September” Sports at its best: neck and neck
“…CP Ali said the command has (had) zero tolerance for human rights abuse.”
“Rivers jetty collapse: 2 dead bodies recovered” This way: 2 corpses recovered
“I call on IPOB leaders to reassert its (their) authority and control of the organisation.”
“Doing so will go a long way in restoring normalcy in (to) the troubled region.”
“Police Sergeant, others arrested in Benin over (for) killing of police constable”
“… there should be an aggressive enlightenment campaign given that the deadline for replacement of all licences and plate numbers is one year.” Truth & Reason: number plates.
“Onitsha-Enugu Highway rehabilitation ready soon—Minister” It is the road, not the rehabilitation, that would be ready soon, hopefully!
“It should also move a step forward by calling the aggressor to order and sanctioning same (the same).” (THISDAY COMMENT, September 2)
“The Nigeria Police is (are) now peopled with criminals….”
“…no effort should be spared in finding out who was responsible for it and sanctioning them accordingly.” (THE NATION COMMENT, September 20) My view: No effort should be spared in finding out those who were responsible for it and sanctioning them accordingly.
“Kebbi govt to extend amenities to boarder communities” (DAILY CHAMPION Online, September 19) Of course, there is a distinction between ‘boarder’ and ‘border’ (which applies here). Do we need to return to kindergarten classes?
“Get 5% discount on any of the LAPTOPS purchase @ any SLOT retail store….” All about image: laptops purchased.
A demonstration of loose thinking: “I’m not a man eater” A rewrite: I’m not a cannibal. A headline should be as firm as possible.
“Fear, anxiety grips Jos, as crisis ridden city await CDS arrival” The correct version: Fear, anxiety grip Jos, as crises-ridden city awaits CDS’ arrival!
“Four policemen arrested in Lagos over (for) N5m debt”
“NLC mobilise for mass protest next week” Get it right: NLC mobilizes
“Live luxuriously…@ the heart of Abuja” NIC From whatever perspective: in the heart of Abuja.
“She always demand for sex” This way: she always demands sex. As a verb, ‘demand’ does not take ‘for’—except as a noun.
“…the billionaire is taking the affair very serious (seriously).”
“The exercise, which may see about a third of the over 200,000 strong (a hyphen between the figure and the word) Federal Civil Service loosing (losing) their jobs….”
“This newspaper has consistently advocated for a comprehensive review of the cost of the machinery of government.” Let us delete ‘for’ in the interest of all stakeholders.
“Hitherto entry into the service has (had) been largely based on….”
“Ogungbo said the most important way to prevent epilepsy is (was) to offer early drug treatment….”
“Bendel Insurance Company, (sic) registration (RC6083) once prides (prided) itself as the number one trusted….”
“So long as the military and other security agencies’ presence are (is) seen on….” (THE NATION, September 16)
“To mark the day, there was (were) free health tests by….”
“The University of Lagos Multipurpose Hall A was filled to the brim with….” Check out the meaning of ‘fill’ in order to appreciate the redundancy of ‘to the brim’. Got the point?
“…the level of political consciousness and internet have (has) risen significantly.”
“The venue and time still remains unchanged.” Port Harcourt International Oil and Gas Summit & Exhibition 2021: ‘remains’ changes to ‘remain’.
“We regret any inconveniences this will course (sic) our esteemed speakers, valued partners and the participants.” Public notice: cause.
“Nigerian Navy pays last respect to…” For the naval gentleman: last respects.
“Depoliticing the judiciary” Get it right: depoliticizing.