LASG Goofs on LUC

Ebere Wabara

THE Lagos State Government Land Use Charge Notice for Year 2023 (Annual Bill) printed on March 20, 2023—now in circulation—contains this schoolboy howler on its walk-in centres: “Surulere Tax Office, 17A, Alhaji Tokan Street, Funsho Williams Avenue (Formally Western Avenue) Get it right: Formerly Western Avenue.

“…I pray God Almighty to continually grant all your heart (heart’s) desires as you pull through other parts of infrastructure and human capital development.” (Source: Rosula Foundation) 

Editorial headline: “Resident doctors (doctors’) demand for salary increase”

“…complete abolishment of bureaucratic limitations to the immediate replacement of doctors who left the system.” This way: ‘abolition (abolishment) does not require any embellishment (‘complete’)

“This is because any strike now will tell on the poor masses who cannot afford the cost of private hospitals.” The interesting thing with the English language and its grammaticality is that there are no emotions: ‘the masses’ are by all human existential parameters and economic circumstances/realities simply poor! So, to sympathetically write or say ‘poor masses’ is an overkill that smacks of gross insensitivity, etymological abuse and an advertisement of sub-literacy, especially coming from a national newspaper Editorial! The masses’ condition does not require any amplification whatsoever. 

“Maritime: Nigeria removed from war risk (war-risk) countries—CNS” 

“Youths’ve (Youths have) proven (proved, preferably) they’re capable to drive (capable of driving) change process—Buhari” ‘Proven’ is especially American English.

“CIPM tasks HR managers to brace up for future challenges” Please delete ‘up’!

“Liberia (Liberian or Liberia’s) President, Weah, congratulates Osimhen” For headline purposes, ‘Weah’ should just have been enough.

Wrong: oil producing states (oil does not produce states, which this implies)

Right: oil-producing states

Wrong: malaria deaths

Right: malarial (adjectival) deaths

“Man arrested over (for) plot to attack Benue communities”

“…As stakeholders blame FG over (for) neglect of $91trn sector”

“Siege on (to) Aba Power compromises national security—CLO”

“Suarez: biting more than he can chew” This way, ThisDay: biting off more than he can chew

“Syrian Prime Minister escapes assassination attempt” The fact that the man escaped the attack presupposes an attempt on his life. So, Syrian PM escapes assassination

“Aregbesola’s phone thief bags 45 years jail” All the Facts, All the Sides: 45 years’ jail term

”Lawmakers pass vote of confidence on (in) Kalu” Confidence in (not on) somebody—the ‘passing’ should not confuse anyone. 

“The issue of who occupies what political position in the country and under (on) which platform appears….”

“In advanced (an advanced) democracy like the US….”

“Dearth of funding slow job creation efforts” Business & Finance: …slows down job-creation efforts

“The Alade Market incidence (incident)….”

“Unknown gunmen raid bank, kill three policemen, two others” (THE GUARDIAN, April 30) Yank away ‘unknown’!

“The same pattern of foreign excesses and Nigerian laxity obtains when the operations of some foreign firms in Nigeria is (are) considered.” 

Still on THE GUARDIAN: “Zonal election into sports federations hold (holds) today”

“The impending NGF election has polarized the 36 states (state) governors into two camps….”

“…I had lot of contracts with many corporate organizations.” Global soccer: a lot of contracts or lots of contracts (depending on context).

“Police arrest Oloko over (for) ex-Oyo SSG guard’s murder”

“But industrial relations experts are apprehensive that currently the rate of strikes are (is) undeniably alarming.”

“Strike actions: Lawful but inexpedient” We certainly do not need ‘action’ here.  Simply strike.  All strikes are action-based.

“I am looking forward to the next Igbo summit to comprise of all the Igbo-speaking fragments irrespective of where they are located.”  In order not to abort the language dream, delete the first ‘of’ and move to the next two errors from the same medium (name withheld like Nigerian newspaper reportage!).

“And in Nigeria, subsequent military regimes which held sway finally culminated into (in) the most dreaded era of military rule in the country–-the Sani Abacha years.”

“No wonder therefore that every inaction of these elected leaders only seek (seeks) to further entrench and protect the many years of brigandage on this nation.”

“Its diverse composition reflected in (on) how its different peoples were organized prior to 1914.”

“We have no genuine reconciliation in Nigeria even though the Oputa panel did its very best.”  ‘Best’ is an absolute and, as such, does not admit qualification of any sort (very).

“As the governor of Akwa Ibom, he has not reneged on both promises to his party and his electioneering campaign promises to the people of the state.”  Either electioneering or campaign.  Both cannot co-exist.

“…before the advent of the Europeans in Nigeria, most societies or kingdoms have thriving and stable political system….” This way: kingdoms had (not have) a (a vital component) thriving and stable political system.

“Somebody who can formulate policies and see to its execution to the minute (minutest) detail.”  An eye for detail: policies and their (not its) execution.

“As such (a comma) the little time that have been given to the politicians.…”  Time that has….

ADDENDUM: Did you know that ‘brace up’ is wrong? Elucidation next week.

FEEDBACK

“PLEASE, tell your readers that ‘drainage’ is a network of drains, a system. It is non-count. So, we clear drains, not drainages.” 

“THANK you so very much for your informative column. Nothing grates my nerves more than the careless mistakes and awful grammar in our dailies. Sadly, on display for the world to see! I only hope your messages get across. Regards” (YETUNDE GIWA-AMU/08085433233)

“HELP me use this must-read column in reminding lawyers and the Ministry of Justice that ‘DPP’ is the abbreviation for Director of Public Prosecutions, not ‘Director of Public Prosecution’ as it is often called and written. In the name, the noun ‘prosecution’ is used in the plural form.” (STANLEY NDUAGU/08062925996)

ADVICE: Contributors to views expressed here or other related issues should cite authorities and references to support their positions. This is a research-based column for well-informed exchange of dispassionate ideas. There must be a cerebral basis for arguments and counter-views—not pedestrian, unscholarly, declarations which I am inundated with daily! I beg una, dear readers.