White Elephants
DAILY Sun Editorial of November 5 welcomes us today with three blunders: “Recent report (A recent report or recent reports, depending on context) that the NNPC, its subsidiary, the NPDC and some companies….” “We decry the inability of the oil behemoth and other entities concerned to renege in (on) remitting the revenue to the government.”
The Business Report lead headline of November 5 fumbled: “How NIMASA can strenghten (sic) professionalism amongst (sic) Nigerian seafarers” A rewrite: How NIMASA can strengthen professionalism among Nigerian seafarers
“Emmanuel not interested in white elephant projects” (South South News Headline, November 5) Just white elephants—no redundant ‘projects
The Guardian of July 14 fumbled two ti mes: “The United States has donated a whooping (whopping) N995 billion to the Multinational Joint Task Force to boost military operations against the Boko Haram insurgency, the U.S. government has said.” Conscience, Nurtured by Truth: no whooping cough, please
“Also, the Presidency has pledged to garner the necessary investments to improve the wheeling capacity of the nation’s transmission infrastructure.” Would it have been ‘unnecessary’ investment?
Still on THE GUARDIAN under focus: “He said that is (was) why he would come back to salvage the state and rescue it to put it back to realize it’s (its) pride of place as he left it in 2003 and go even beyond that.”
“Cash and carry (Cash-and-carry) democracy, bane of Nigeria’s development”
“Falana supports Soyinka’s objections on (to) Sexual Offences Bill”
“Train to become a certified child care personnel (official)” ‘Personnel’ is a collective noun.
“In other jurisdiction (another jurisdiction or other jurisdictions), you don’t just file for the sake of filing, you can’t just take a matter for the sake of taken (taking) it.”
“We therefore regret any inconveniences this might cause our esteem (esteemed) distributors. This announcement is ordered by Tiens Group—Nigeria.”
“NDIC boss charges corps members on bank saving (bank-saving) culture”
“…and newly-elected officials swornin (sworn in) at the federal and state levels….” Phrasal verbs abhor hyphenation.
“Oil swap (Oil-swap) contracts: AITEO not front for Jonathan, AlisonMadueke—Spokesperson” Except if the headline caster meant that oil was swapping contracts!
“Jigawa council chairmen pledge support to (for) APC govt”
“I wish you many more years in good health and prosperity, to further your accomplishments to (in) journalism and humanity (service to humanity, you mean?)”
“I and my wife, Lady (My wife, Lady… and I….) Etymological sequence is critical to good writing.
“Use of made-in Nigerian (Nigeria) cars by Mr. President will lift auto industry”
“Tribunal will recover Abia stolen mandate, APGA chieftain assures” Who did the chieftain assure?
THE NATION ON SUNDAY of July 29 comes up next with the following errors: “Dangote commissions (inaugurates/ auspicates/launches, et al) $500 million cement plant in Ethiopia”
“Osinbajo to flag off (inaugurate) super highway in Cross River”
“First and foremost, you must look at the PDP; they mismanaged their victory and haven (having) mismanaged the victory….”
“The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria…played very prominent roles during the electioneering campaigns that ushered in the new administration.” ‘Electioneering’ and ‘campaigns’ cannot co-exist in the same lexical environment as the former encompasses the latter.
From THE NATION of July 30 comes the next set of diseased lines: “Ekweremadu: Igbos (Igbo) right to vote for PDP”
“On the occasion of your birthday anniversary….” For the umpteenth time, ‘birthday’ and ‘anniversary’ cannot cofunction. ‘Birthday’ is the anniversary/ commemoration of one’s birth.
Take note that the old, grammatical rule that “one” must be followed by “one” and its parts –“one, one’s, oneself”, has changed. The feeling that the repetition of “one” - - - one’s (e.g. One must do what one can to ensure one’s family a decent standard of living) makes for a stilted style has now led to the permissible shift from “one, one’s” to “he, his” (e.g. One must do what he can to ensure his family a decent standard of living).
In general, a shift in the number or nature of pronouns is undesirable, but