EBERE WABARA

“In seven (7 preferably for headline purposes) years, our work speaks volume (volumes)…”.

“…the governor has failed his people woefully (abysmally)”.

Finally from Daily Independent politics page of the edition under review: “…the judge stated that the 37 defected PDP members has (had) no business remaining in the House since…”.

Wrong: “You better come…”. Right: You had better come….

“10-year-old boy strangles playmate to death in Lagos” (Sunday Vanguard, March 31). To ‘strangle’ someone is to kill the person by squeezing their throat so as to cut off their oxygen supply. You cannot use the verb ‘strangle’ with ‘death’ in the same sentence. (Contributed by Dr. Stanley Nduagu/ Aba/08062925996) More constructive reactions from readers are always welcome as they enrich this space.

“ICPC boss laments high rate of ‘sex for grades’ (sex-for-grades) in schools”

“Despite the huge money expended in (on) these periodic maintenance exercises, the nation’s refineries have remained unproductive, forcing the country to depend so much on imported petroleum products at exorbitant rates”.

Daily Independent Online of March 2 backs the floodgate of goofs this week: “The result is that many under-aged (sic) children are routinely subjected to abuse…”. All the facts, all the sides: overage and underage (not ‘overaged’ or ‘underaged’) children.

The politics page of the above medium raises the tone with four slip-ups: “The Presidential Advisory Committee on National Conference recently kick started (kick-started) its sitting in Akure…”.

“These facts have contributed greatly in (to) the level of congestion in the courts”.

“…enjoy their loots and still aspire for (to) higher offices”. Again, ‘loot’ is uncountable—and you aspire to, not for!