EXPRESSION On, Not Under, Platform

Ebere Wabara

“THE quest by some presidential aspirants of the PDP for a consensus flagbearer (flag-bearer, by the way)….” This way: standard-bearer, not flag-bearer

“Buhari assents to bill raising teachers (teachers’) retirement age to 65”

“Okorocha: APC should stand firm in (on) zoning Presidency to South-east”

“Labour storms venue of governors (governors’) meeting over autonomy”

“JOHESU accuses CMDs, MDs of sabotaging FG (FG’s) directives on training”

“Gov (Gov.) Ikpeazu’s kinsmen in diaspora kick against Ngwa self succession (self-succession) agenda”

“Ugwuanyi gives executive backing for (to) domestication of Disability Act”

“FCCPC: Court rejects Med Contour’s ‘no case submission’, fixes trial for May 26” Get it right: no-case submission

“Here are photographs of personalities at (on) the occasion”

“Megwara: Ikpeazu’s choice of Ikonne, setback for (to) Abia”

“…in the run up (run-up) to the 2023 general election, writes….”

“Effective transportation requires road master plans (master-plans) with economic inclusiveness”    

THE NATION of April 5 goofed: “Three pupils dead in Ibadan school bus fire” Truth in defence of freedom: Three pupils die…

Dateline: April 12, 2019: Thanks to Seth Akintoye, reference books on the English language, Google and Grammarly.com, I just found out that ‘flag off’ is a wrong phrasal verb ignorantly used by most of my fellow countrymen! What exist are ‘flag down’, ‘flag up’, ‘flag out’ and ‘flag’. ‘Flag off’ is a faulty Nigerian creation. “Oyo flags-off (begins/launches/kicks off/inaugurates…et al) bridge, road projects” Reactions to this ‘discovery’ are welcome. Let us keep exchanging ideas on lexis and structure—and grammar, generally. Latest development (April 12, 2022): ‘flag off’ is now accepted as a phrasal verb, according to January 2020 updates of Oxford English Dictionary.

“…no amount of pressure would make the Senate sweep any of its probe report (reports) under the carpet” (Vanguard, April 4)

“Jos: Three arrested over (for) policeman’s death” (The PUNCH Headline, April 3)

“Handover (Hand over) our VP for trial, Iraq urges Qatar” (Source: as above)

THE GUARDIAN of April 3 circulated the next two gaffes: “With the inherent multiplier effects of the automotive manufacturing industry, the government can, this time around (round), ill-afford sloppy disposition towards the strategic sub-sector.” ‘This time around’ is American English! 

“Segun Toriola: Record sixth times (time) at the Olympics”

“…but the payoff was last week raised to a whooping (whopping) N100 million.”

“When diaspora Ohaneze converged in (on) Ogwashi-Ukwu” (DAILY INDEPENDENT, April 3)

“Senate blames judiciary over (for) 33,692 awaiting trial inmates” (DAILY INDEPENDENT, April 3)

“If they say they want to vote for PDP (a comma) no problem about that but majority (a majority)….”

“Last week Wednesday….” (DAILY INDEPENDENT, April 3) Either: last Wednesday or Wednesday, last week.

 LEADERSHIP of April 3 goofed: “Movement of cattle has often pitted Fulani herdsmen with (against) local farmers whose crops are destroyed by cattle.”

“Ezeonu came at a time when health care delivery services in Ebonyi State was (were) challenged.” (DAILY INDEPENDENT, April 2)

“This smacks off double standard.” (BUSINESSDAY, March 29) Grammar you can trust: smacks of.

“PDP must restore hope in (to) Nigerians, says Lamido” (THE GUARDIAN, March 29)

“Six students, bizman arrested over (for) robbery in Edo” (DAILY INDEPENDENT, March 29)   

 “These children disappeared atimes from home after their parents had gone to search for daily bread….” Children for sale: at times.

“No sooner had the morning papers commenced at (on) the main campus of the university at about 10.a.m….” Either at or about 10.a.m. ‘At about 10 a.m.’ gives room for confusion. 

“Having shown that he means business…all shades of people are quickly jumping into (on/aboard) the ‘anti-corruption’ bandwagon.”

“Another feather to (in) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cap on his lavish 70th birthday” 

“Conceeding defeat is a herculean task.”  Spell-check: concede and conceding.

“…following reports of molestation and harassment of law-abiding citizens by members of vigilante groups supposedly in anti-robbery patrol”  Get it right: vigilance committees/groups.

“I do not intend to bore you with beer-parlour (pub) gossips” ‘Gossip’, in this context, is uncountable.

“…the ‘officials’ who would be carrying files from Abuja to Lagos to treat in the morning and return them back in the evening.” No linguistic sabotage: delete ‘back’.

“…several (many) universities from across the universe were practically falling over themselves (one another) to give Mandela one honorary award or the other (another).”

“Staff correspondent x-rays the government white paper on the two organizations and related companies in the industry.  ‘White papers’ are issued exclusively by governments.  So, there should be no communicative redundancy.

“…well-wishers of the official have been astonished by the resounding non-challance of the man about the appointment.”  Get it right always: nonchalance.

 “…the desire by the president to utilize best hands available in the running of government in this (these) trying times….”  Do you utilize what is unavailable?

“This may not be unconnected with the moral-cum-political pedestal on which the old man stood for sometime (some time).”

“Shadows of the wrongs of yesteryears trailed Obasanjo in the presidential election.” Fixed expression: yesteryear

“It is a pity that Nigeria has had a history of self-governance, brought about by the regular incursion of military to (into) power.”

”From the onset (outset), let me declare that I pulled out of Economics immediately I scaled the hurdle at the advanced level.”

“Now you are on (in) the saddle.”   

“From all intent and purpose….” No extinction of the English language: all intents and purposes.

“The singular word that has eaten very deep into the fabrics (fabric) of the Nigerian nation is corruption.”

“It has gradually destroyed the foundation of most people’s lives, removed their trust and believe (belief) in hard work, diligence, honesty, and excellence.” ‘Hard work’ and ‘diligence’ cannot co-function—just use either.

“In a country where innocent children lack assess (access) to one good meal a day….”

“But what is the sense in embarking in (on) such wasteful projects when salaries have not been paid, and majority (a majority) of Nigerians are hungry and angry.”

“What is more distressing is that while the government is urging the poor masses….”  The dictionaries inform me that ‘the masses’ are the lower, wretched members of the society.  No poverty of expression.

“Yet they are expected to put in their very best.”  ‘Best’ is a superlative point, which requires no intensification or amplification (very).

“Apology or bribery to ensure goodies from the state house is (are) not stopped.”

Have a blissful Easter and don’t forget to courier smoked fish to your English language ‘teacher’!