‘ Living Witnesses’?
THE AUTHORITY of January 26 goofed right from its front page to inside departments: “…said that (sic) only the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) can (could) determine Jonathan’s fate on alleged corrupt practices.” “Police arrest suspects over (for) Adamawa killings” Now to the EDITORIAL: “The PDP scribe pleaded not guilty to the seven-count charges preferred against him by the EFCC.” Get it right: seven-count charge or seven charges
“Nigerians are all living witnesses to when even….” Truth and justice: delete ‘living’ as we could not have been ‘dead witnesses’!
“…a country where different rules and laws apply for same (the same) offence….”
“Dockworkers raise alarm (the alarm) over lull in vessels at PH ports”
Finally from THE AUTHORITY: “I want to suggest to Mr. President that the first step toward reducing corruption is to ensure strict adherence to assets declaration by every aspiring public office holders (holder or all aspiring public office holders)….”
Let us welcome THISDAY front and inside pages of January 30: “The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday refused to grant bail to the proprietor of Radio Biafra and Leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu and two orders (others).”
“…were arraigned by the federal government on a six-count charge bothering (bordering) on treasonable felony.”
“…even when it was noted that he was the most criticised president in the world, he still allow (allowed) freedom of expression to flourish.”
“After that episode came series (a series) of questioning about my name and activities in my ministry.”
THE GUARDIAN of February 2 takes its turn: “For close to five years, he raced through the banking sector like a bull in a china hall.” Get it right: a bull in a china shop.
“Singapore jails senior civil servants over (for) corruption”
“ANA postponements (sic) (postpones) February reading”
“Peugeot plans to inject $7.26b on (into) research, development”
“South African Airways celebrates 80 years (years’ or 80th year) anniversary”
“LASU Management re-opens (reopens) the university” (Half-page advertisement)
“You lived well and you have gone to (preferably for) a well deserved (welldeserved) rest. Rest in perfect peace.” (Full-page advertorial) Except for graveyard peace, ‘peace’ is an absolute and does not need inflection, intensification or adumbration. So, rest in peace (R.I.P—not R.I.P.P)!
Finally from the Back Page of THE GUARDIAN under review: “One has witnessed at different occasions dissenting opinions of doctors as regards prescriptions for patient’s (a patient’s) ailment.” The Guardian youth speak: on different occasions.
Next is DAILY TRUST of February 2: “Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar spoke at his palace in Sokoto….” Does the Sultan of Sokoto have another palace elsewhere? Let us think as we report.
“Heritage Bank plans listing in (on) capital market”
“Pact with China conducive for peace, says Taiwan (Taiwan’s or Taiwanese) president”
“Otherwise, there is no point we engage in importing that much on yearly (a yearly) basis.”
“…he said though the institute has (had) developed 62 rice varieties for farmers, five most prominent varieties are (were) in circulation and are (were) doing very good (well).”
“NEMA, stakeholders meets over displaced persons” You can readily identify the boyish slip-up.
“With the LG polls now fixed for next week Tuesday….” Either next Tuesday or Tuesday, next week—no jumbo-mumbo!
Lastly from DAILY TRUST: “Replicate your performance to (in) your constituents (constituencies)”
“Security at airports: Police deploys (sic) sniffer dogs at (in) Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, 5 others” (AIT News, 4 p.m., February 2)
“PIB: Senate to re-open probe” (Source: as above) My comment: already treated.
From DAILY TRUST we move to THISDAY of February 1 for the next four entries: “I am not in FCT for politics, says Mbu” It categorically means you were in Rivers State for presidential wife’s politics! That is the latent power of words.
“Absence of interpreter stalls trial of Portuguese woman charged for (with) drug trafficking”
“Thumb (Thumbs) up for Nigerian refs in Mali”
“Obasanjo : Amaechi’s k-leg (knocked leg) has been straightened”
“Failure of Oduah to handover (hand over) stalls….”
The following five solecisms are from DAILY INDEPENDENT of February 18 starting from its front page: “DHQ assures of continued offensive” Who did it assure?
“Battle for soul of Ecobank intensifies” So the battle intensifies itself?
“Harnessing potentials of local software industry in Nigeria” ‘Potential’ is uncountable, but we have ‘potentialities’,
“…who had at one point or the other (or another) been to Oyo State….”
“Tackling voters apathy in Nigeria” This way: voter apathy
SATURDAY INDEPENDENT of February 6 disseminated all manner of school-boy mistakes right from the front page: “Fear has grip (gripped) notable politicians in Ebonyi State following findings by….” Most of the ensuing blunders were caused by sheer carelessness and loose thinking as the computer system has an in-built mechanism that detects most of the spelling errors contained herein.
“The discovery was made when the SSS arrested some kidnappers in the state alleged to be the brain (brains) behind high profile (high-profile) kidnapping in the state.”