Lay Siege to, Not on 

Ebere Wabara

HAPPY Fathers’ Day tomorrow: “STRENGTHENING Families (Families’) conference Abuja 2003”

“Policemen attached to Moniya Police Station were said to have recovered the body of the victim from the scene in a pool of his own blood.” Would it have been the reporter’s pool of blood? Simply write ‘in a pool of blood’, which is self-explanatory.

“…said investigation (an investigation) has commenced on (into) the incident.”

“9th Assembly: Reps (Reps’) unfinished businesses, failed promises”

“However, the DSS has denied laying siege on (to) the Ikoyi, Lagos (another comma) office of the EFCC….”

“Regrettably, the agencies failed to use all available legal channels (would they have used unavailable channels?) to resolve the matter until it degenerated to (into) the apparent fisticuffs and show of strength.”

“Government should take necessary measures (would it take unnecessary measures?) to forestall inter-agency rivalry.” I do not understand this kindergartner style of writing! Simply put: Government should take measures/steps/actions to….

“Presidential poll: Obi, LP tenders (tender) results from 17 states, 342 LGAs”

“On behalf of Cossel Construction Company Nig Ltd, I felicitate with (felicitate) you as you….”

“Going by your antecedents, we do not entertain any doubts as regard (regards) your capacity and ability to deliver.”

DAILY INDEPENDENT of May 23 welcomes us this week with a few inaccuracies: “Police arrest car-laden (car laden) with 3,500 cartridges” The police arrested the car owner/driver—not the vehicle! Commonsense tells us that once the person behind such a toxic contraption is apprehended, the car ends up in the police station. Collocation demands thinking! With regard to vehicular application, police can seize, take away, whisk away/off a car, among other expressions—but certainly not ‘arrest’!

“…it has failed woefully (abysmally), no doubt.”

“UNIJOS inaugurates new Governing Council” Education Today: it could not have been an old council! Yet another headline faux pas: “Katsina to send more student (why?) to Egypt”

“Chinua Achebe: The end of an epoch making (epoch-making) writer (1930-2013)”

Now all the facts, all the sides as we take the last contribution from the Back Page of Daily Independent under focus: “But honours that the good professor would have rejected in his lifetime should not be hanged on his tomb as a mark of magnanimity from the state.” The past tense/past participle of ‘hang’ is ‘hung’; ‘hanged’ is only used when the context is ‘kill/be killed.’

Leadership of May 22 committed an offence: “…theirs remains one of the riskiest and least rewarding job (jobs) in the land.”

“Achebe memorial rites: Family, well wishers (well-wishers) pay last respect (respects) to literary icon in Anambra State” 

“Should we not rather give kudos to these policemen who risk lifes (lives) and limbs daily to see that society does not grind to a halt?”

“…is not only hypocritical but out-rightly (sic) mischievous.” Get it right: outright mischief. 

“…is castigating same (the same) for saving the lives of the unarmed.”

“Manko should be spared unnecessary distraction (is there a necessary one?) from those who want to make omelets without breaking eggs.” Fixed (idiomatic) expression: (you can’t) make an omelette without breaking eggs. Note that ‘omelet’ is American English, while ‘omelette’ is British English. 

“Taking the message of FOIA to the grassroot” (Leadership Feature, May 22) Hallmark of leadership: grassroots

DAILY TRUST of May 22 goofed: “We are trusting in the Lord that you are not alone and He shall also not leave us alone even as we grief (grieve).” 

The Guardian Front Page of May 21, among other pages, nurtured grammatical errors: “Reps (Reps’) panel threatens arrest of bank chiefs over (for or in connection with) tax remittance”

“…Brig-Gen. Fatai Oladipo Alli, yesterday said that there will (would) be no hiding place for the insurgents, assuring that the military was battle ready to crush terrorists.” Who did he assure? Again, ‘assure,’ a transitive verb, must take an object.

“…the Yobe State Government yesterday relaxed the curfew imposed in (on) the state by two hours daily.”

“…the 120 terrorists were arrested when they converged in (on) Maiduguri to….”

Still on THE GUARDIAN: “Govt allays fears (fear) as aviation workers end strike”

“He said that the troops are (were) already interacting with locals and citizens….” Are locals foreigners? Where is thy conscience?

“He said that troops were to be deployed to (in) the black spots….”

“Fidelity Pharmacists Support Facility (FPSF)” (Full-page advertisement by Fidelity Bank PLC) My own prescription: Pharmacists’ Support. Technical: possessiveness in grammar. Let us keep our word because we’re Fidelity.

“UNIBEN alumni lauds (laud) govt action to solve security problems” This should not be news at all!

Now THE GUARDIAN BUSINESS Page: “Flying revenue collection intensifies (intensified) in Abia” Is the revenue collecting itself?! Sub-editors should not be afraid to use past tenses in headlines occasionally when it becomes inevitable like the above case.

Yet another full-page advertisement slip-up: “It’s another ground breaking CSR initiative from Etisalat to further enhance (sic) and empower the telecoms industry.” Let us talk correctly: ground-breaking CSR initiative…and ‘enhancement’ does not require ‘furtherance’ even if it is serial.

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

Finally from the advertisement section of THE GUARDIAN under review: “Government College Umuahia Old Boys Association” In honour of Prof. Chinua Achebe (1930-2013): old boys’ association.

Please note that ‘turn or stand something on its head’ is correct as against last week’s inadvertent declaration that ruled out ‘turn’!