Poverty of Words

  Media Gaffes

By Ebere Wabara

SOME headlines are just written thoughtlessly: “As Supreme Court rules on guber polls (kicker)…Tension as Ihedioha, Ortom, Tambuwal know fate today (headline)” (DAILY Sun Front Page Banner, January 13, 2020) You do not have to underestimate readers’ intelligence. It is obvious there would be situational tension in the circumstance. So, there was no point needlessly stating that redundant phrase (‘Tension as’). Furthermore, the double usage of ‘as’ in that seven-column headline disaster showed poverty of words! In a nutshell, delete ‘tension as’.

From SOUTH EAST NEWS of January 13 comes the next flaw: “Abia shutdown (shuts down) substandard private schools today”

“Ile Arugbo: Kwara PDP petitions NHRC, seeks probe of use of live ammunitions to disperse aged women” (AREWA NEWS, January 13) ‘Ammunition’ is uncountable.

“I heartily congratulate my brother…over (on/upon) his victory at the supreme court (Supreme Court)….” (Full-page advertorial, THISDAY, January 18, Page 23)

“Akeredolu to commission (inaugurate/auspicate, et al) projects as Ondo school marks 60th anniversary”

“…with Greek giants Olympiacos among those keen to cash-in (cash in) on the Nigerian this winter transfer 

“Amidst (Amid) the encumbrances and travails that trailed her track, she survived.”

“He talks to (with)…about his strides as an advertising guru….” 

“With a heart of felicitation and love, I wish to congratulate (I congratulate) my husband…over (on/upon) his merited doctorate award.”

“Your diligent nature and tenacity of purpose has (have) singled you out for recognition.”

“…but you have shown the world that good things comes (why?) to those who work for it (them).”

“NPFL title: Imama leads Rangers to promise land (sic)” Sports journalists: (the) Promised Land (take note of the capitalization)

“In spite of the current division amongst (among) members of the terrorist group….” ‘Amidst’, ‘amongst’, ‘whilst’, ‘join together’, ‘log of wood’, ‘heavy downpour’ (the list is endless!)…belong to ‘old school’!

“His present command and control (command-and-control) tactics must end.”

“…argues that ‘foreign terrorists’ are being treated with kid’s gloves.” Get it right: kid gloves 

“I am sure those of them that participated in both competitions will tow (toe) the line of reasoning.”

“IGC sets (set) for 2020 Corporate Challenge Cup”

“Biafra asks Igbo to switch-off (switch off) phones….” Phrasal verbs do not admit hyphenation.

“…while incidences of diseases and death (deaths) have worsened.” Please note that even as ‘incidence’ is countable, it is usually singular.

“Lagos is a vibrant city with enormous potentials.” Either ‘potentialities’ or just ‘potential’ (without any inflection)

“Celebrating one of Plateau’s quintessential legal luminary (luminaries)…!”

“Your several (many) years of practice and public service as commissioner…for about nine years has (have) no doubt….” Preferably ‘many’

“I am no doubt confident that Plateau State, the National Assembly where you now serve as a (an) honourable member….”

“Ashes to beauty (Ashes-to-beauty) story of the camera”

“…brings to the fore issues concerning some non-governmental organizations set up under the pretext of helping the needy but turn out to be scams”

“If a guy likes me and he’s going online to check for my status….” Delete ‘for’ because it is redundant

“FG seeks China (Chinese) cooperation to tackle piracy in entertainment industry”

“Strenghtening (Strengthening) commitment”, but straightening 

“He is a bogeyman who pushes, shoves, pulls, elbows and even scratch (scratches) players on the face….”

“CPC to clampdown on illegal microfinance banks” Phrasal verb: clamp down (two words).

“An acknowledged scholar, a distinguished statesman and a team leader per excellence” This way: leader par excellence. 

“New trends in electioneering campaigns” Just electioneering or political campaigns ‘Electioneering campaign’ is sheer verbiage! ‘Electioneering’ encompasses campaign and other related electoral issues.

“Some countries have taken tobacco manufacturers to court for the damages their products cause.” The will to die: ‘damage‘ is uncountable, except in reparative applications for indemnity.

“With the launching (launch preferably) of the poverty alleviation (a hyphen) programme by the Federal Government, not a few Nigerians desire to see it effectively in place. “ 

“…what happened was that somebody filed a writ of summon.” This way (singular): a writ of summons; plural: summonses.

“It is the Federal Board that is always guilty of that, because it is them who take riff-raffs as welfare officers.” ‘Riff-raff’ is uncountable.

“Modern technology has reduced the world into (to) a hamlet where the inhabitants are their brothers’ keepers.” This way: brother’s keeper (fixed idiom), irrespective of the number of people involved.  

“The coincidence in the timing of all those sleazy gossips in soft-sell magazines and the beginning of his fashion parade….”  ‘Gossip’, in this context, is uncountable. 

“More overaged players for youth soccer“ Get it right: overage players.

“Residents of some of the troubled spots in Libya in disarray” Witness to lexical mayhem: trouble spots. 

“…rummaging all the bags and ransacking every nook and corner.” Stock expression: nook and cranny.

“The police requires (require) a redeemer who can uplift the Force from the battering it (they) suffered during the long years of militarization.”

“I inquired from those that appear to know and they said that the president is (was) roaming the country in the name of campaigns.”

“There is (are) no electricity, no security, no water, no roads, no health facilities in Nigeria.”

“Foreign companies will be falling over themselves (one another) to come and invest here if we get the 2023 elections right.”

“…given the lame-duck posture of the opposition parties, the APC simply held sway from the onset (outset).”

 “Reactions on (to) the Pope’s visit, however successful, were mixed in Egypt, a country inhabited by a predominantly Muslim population.”

“Prior to the Pope’s visit, Egyptian Catholics have (had) opted out of the….”

“The first part was published last week Friday.” Monday politics: either last Friday or Friday, last week.

“Vigilante (vigilance) groups, committed to the enforcement of the by-law, are being set up.” 

“Some of these areas include producing enough food to feed our teaming (teeming) population.”

 “Rather, the money, including the N200 million per state released for special purposes, was diverted to other uses.”  We certainly do not need the last three words in the extract, having been taken care of by ‘diversion’. 

“Unless the detonating mechanism of extremist religious chauvinism is diffused” Get it right: defused (not diffused).

“They have decided to sheath their machetes and seek vengeance no more. “ Noun: sheath; verb: sheathe.

“The sources of revenue in a city like Lagos is very important.” Still on errors of attraction (more below): sources…are.

“…business downturn resulting to (in) drive-wandering.”

“…the rapaciousness of project contractors increase (increases) the country’s debt burden.”

“Senior civil servants’ union berate junior counterparts” Inside business: union berates.

“It’s the poet feared most, knowing fully (full) well that one of the….”

“The agitated crowd, who had been whipped to hysteria, demanded for his head.…” To avoid mayhem, delete ‘for’, from the extract.

”…and which provides a noble and humanistic framework for relations between the state and citizens in (on) our continent.”

“But in the welter of these realignment of forces…” Re-thinking development: this realignment of forces.

“The fear along the room and corridor (corridors) of power of a sovereign national conference.…”

“It is not in doubt that most of the commuters in the luxurious (luxury) buses that ply.…”

“…Aba traders constitute a large proportion of the passengers on commercial aircrafts (aircraft) that fly….”

“Major reorganization of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), which may lead to mass retirement and sack of its men and officers, now looms.” Get it right: a major reorganization or major reorganizations, as context demands.

“One of the most outrageous abuses occured…” Spelling in the lurch: occur, occurrence, occurred.

“I do not buy the argument that the advent of electronic mails and network computers have rendered postal services obsolete.” Not yet time for structural proximity: the advent of electronic mails and network computers has (not have).

“In doing this, however, he must be faithful to the mandate of the ECOWAS Heads of Government under whose platform he operates.” Agenda: on (not under) whose platform he operates.