Expression Dispose of, Not ‘off’ 

Ebere Wabara

“ONLY family head, principal members can validly dispose off family land (2)” Law Report: dispose of.

“…even if it means going extra miles….” I will go the extra mile (note the fixed expression) to ensure that this column appears unfailingly every week. 

“And like (as) someone said recently….” 

“…in the evacuation of dead bodies to mortuary.” On a clinical note: corpses instead of ‘dead bodies’ and a mortuary or mortuaries, depending on the fact of the matter. 

“…as well as condoning the place and evacuating the dead and survivors to nearest health facilities.” Bomb blasts and conflicting figures: cordoning off (take note of the spelling and correct entry) the place. 

“There seems (seem) to be stiff competitions among the foreign media and local press as well as….” 

“…politicians are also culprits in overheating the system with provocative statements in blaming their opponents over (for) every misdeed.” 

“Baring few skirmishes which regrettably led to the death of four persons….” An anatomy of the season of linguistic violence: there is a world of distinction between ‘a few’ (which correctly applies here) and ‘few’, which connotatively suggests an expectation of more skirmishes—except if the writer has a weird denotative inclination towards potentialities for more skirmishes! Otherwise, the extract is lexically absurd because of his regret.    

Daily Independent of May 30 failed a simple phrasal verb test: “End-term report card: Buhari lashes at critics” Collocational information: Buhari lashes out at critics

Of course, the inside pages, naturally, were also not left out: “The Honourable Minister for (of) Power….” But, Commissioner for Power…Niger State Government, take note!

“NDLEA arrests two over (for or in connection with) trafficking at Lagos Airport”

Daily Trust equally contributed four howlers to the pool of improprieties: “It will be recalled that Bamigbetan regained his freedom on the payment of a whooping (whopping) ransom of N15 million.”

“…has given a firm assurance that his government will stop at nothing to (at) reducing the menace to the barest minimum in the state.”

“…and like (as) Governor Sanwo-Olu said, eternal vigilance should be the watch word (watchword).”

“I misled Middle Belt to vote for Tinubu” Politics Today: I misled Middle Belt into voting for Tinubu

“…he has been able to repay back N20 billion.” Delete ‘back’ and move forward!

“Osuntokun scores Buhari low in education” My amiable and humanistic former lecturer scored Buhari low on (not in) education. An aside: Prof., thanks for all the biros you gave to us during lectures almost three decades ago in UNILAG. I remember it all as if it were yesterday! God will continue to prosper you. I also fondly recollect another fine gentleman, the late Dr. Hakeem Haruna of History Department, for his unique didactic methodology. May his soul continue to rest in peace.

Still on Daily Independent: “ABUAD: It can stand with world class (world-class) universities”

“ABUAD students on life in the campus” Special Report: ABUAD students on life on campus—or, simply, ABUAD students on campus life, especially for headline purposes

“Tinubu has no solution to Nigeria’s crisis” Definitely, Nigeria has more than one crisis: therefore crises.

Now, the final entry from Daily Trust: “…creative people to interact at (in) the corridors of power”

The Guardian of May 28 contained a surfeit of lexical falsehoods: “One military personnel was also killed in the encounter.” ‘Personnel’ (plural) is a collective noun that cannot be used for just an individual.

“…Amaechi said that his purported suspension was an act of political witch-hunting.” Conscience, Nurtured by Truth: political witch-hunt

“Time for leaders to close rank (ranks)…”

“Otti assures on welfare” Who did the governor assure? ‘Assure’ compulsorily takes an object.

“Uzodinma seeks on leadership training” Yank away ‘on’!

Still on THE GUARDIAN under focus: “…the military lobby intensively for deployment into (in) the zone.” (Editorial)

“To bring this to the attention of the decerning (discerning) investors, the Jigawa State Government is organising the first Economic and Investment Summit.” (Full-page advertorial)

Lastly from THE GUARDIAN Law Report: “Courts are not permitted to suo motu raise issues, resolve same (the same) without hearing from parties”

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER of May 27, circulated a few errors right from its Front Page: “The good news came few (a few) hours before President Buhari….”

“…after overrunning three terrorists camps (terrorists’ camps) in the riotous….”

The next four blunders are from a full-page advertisement in the Saturday newspaper under review: “I duff (doff) my hart (hat) for (to) a brother that is more of value than gold.” Preferably: I take off my hat to….

“Your deligence (diligence) in business is wonderful….”

“Many residents of the state have agreed to endure in order to enjoy a safe and secured (secure) tomorrow.”

“Some parts of Maiduguri was (were) no go area (no-go areas) to any sane mind as people are (were) picked up for slaughter. The laws operating in those areas were different from any other parts (part) of the state (or other parts of the state).”

Finally from THISDAY COVER under review: “….the deployment of more troops to (in) states was belated.”

 THE NATION ON SUNDAY of May 28 displayed slothfulness and crankiness: “To stem this abuse by some judges, the CJN said that he has (had) directed that before any judge can (could) travel abroad, he or she (sic) must obtain permission from the head judge.” My comment: instead of ‘he or she,’ use ‘they’—which is the acceptable form.

Still on last Tuesday’s edition of Leadership: “…Wike opened up on the crisis in Rivers State and his grouse with (about) ex-Governor Rotimi Amaechi….”

“If we have problems, probably there might be one reason or the other (one reason or another) the governor is not happy.”

“As two-time governor of Lagos, you shone like star (a star).”

“To their dubious chicanery, your voice resonate (resonates) distinctly….” Also note that the last word in the extract is otiose! (This and the preceding blunder are from a full-page congratulatory advertorial by one of the governors (name withheld!) in honour of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu)