At the Helm, not Helms

DAILY SUN of April 11 welcomes us today: “Recall that the first prosecution witness…had, also, made same (the same) submission before the trial judge….” THE NATION ON SUNDAY of May 14 fretted two times: “President Muhammadu Buhari’s failure to commission (inaugurate/auspicate/ launch…) the groundbreaking of the….” ‘Commission’ is inappropriate in this context. (Vide any standard dictionary)

“Nigeria has invested so much into (in) resolving the Niger Delta crisis….”

“The alumni (alumnus) of the prestigious Harvard Business School Advanced Management Programme spoke with….”

“…is the only aspirant under (on) the platform of the APC in Lagos State.”

“…also revealed how she found herself at the helms (helm) at the station dubbed….”

“…preserve you for the full realization of your potentials (potential/potentialities) and purpose in life.” ‘Potential’ is uncountable.

“Strenghtening the universities” This way: straightening and strengthening. Little marks of scholarship.

“One evening at the premises of THISDAY newspapers.…” (THISDAY, May 15) Get it right: on the premises.

“It is against this backdrop that the secretary…ought to have been congratulated for his initiative….” (Source: as above) Familiarity with a phrase does not confer acceptability. So, congratulate on/upon (not for).

“At least, it will douse the heat for sometime. “A clear difference: some time and sometime

“The same should apply to other troubled (trouble) spots….”

“These sort of people along side (sic) with…” (Source: as above) This sort or these sorts….and of course, alongside.

“He has been a subject of incessant harassments, arrests and detention since then.” (THISDAY, May 15) ‘Harassment’ is uncountable.

“Earlier this year, FEPA officials had argued that they need an interval of raising public consciousness with regards to the environment….” As regards or with regard to: you can also use ‘concerning’ in place of any of the two.

“We have heard of people running for office, a running mate, running neck to neck or the race between candidates X and Y being too close to call.” Politicians run neck and neck; not “neck to neck”.

“That same day, Robinson, his supporters and other Nigerians demonstrated in front of the Nigerian embassy on 16th Street, just a stone throw from Trans-Africa’s office.” Democratic English: A stone’s throw.

“Criminal investigations into the controversial death of…has run into a hitch. “For a hitch-free sentence, change ‘has’ to ‘have’.

“The family took the hospital to court last year claiming N50 million damage for the death of.…” I claim no damages from offenders! Wrong: “forthnight”; right: fortnight

“Where this does not solve the problem, then it might be the full pump, pipe or tank outlet in which case can only be checked by a qualified personnel.” The word ‘personnel’ refers to people.

“Outcome of these various conferences and workshops were articulated into what is now known as.…” Outcome…was (not were). To avoid this kind of predicative trap, rephrase.

“The theme is appropriate as the conference is the climax of series of conference…” A series of…

“…the various NGOs fought each other and generally.…” They fought one another; not each other (involving just two).

“And for Beijing, the final Prepcom took place between March 15 to April 4 at the UN Headquarters in New York.” Between…and or from…to. The final word is that the phrase cannot be mixed.

“As Nigerian women put finished (finishing) touches to their travel preparations.…”

“This statistics show Nigerian cities to be among the fastest growing in the world.” (BUSINESSDAY, May 15). This statistic and of course these statistics

“This is not the first time this type of incidence is unfolding in the country.” Incident (not incidence) in this instance

“Thus, one could say and rightly of course, that both shareholders would be held to ransome should there be any….” (Source: as above) Get it right: ransom.

“The arrests were made when…paid a surprise visit to the Apapa Ports Complex at about 3 p.m.” (THISDAY, May 15) Either use ‘at 3 p.m.’ or about 3 p.m. To use both at the same time amounts to absurdity.

The exclamation mark “we have to move forward! Only forward!! My dear people forward!!! Thank you. God bless Nigeria!!” Usage note: Don’t overuse the exclamation mark or point, as the Americans call it, and don’t