Underprivileged, Not ‘Less-privileged’

Ebere Wabara

“B ENUE assets recovery (assets-recovery) committee storms Ortom’s house, carts away exotic cars”

“Unfortunately the United Nations that dissolved the League of Nations seem (seems) not capable (seems incapable) of….”

“Gas powered (Gas-powered) generators safe, by experts”

“And I know that the new administration is geared in (to) that direction.”  

Daily Champion Online of June 27 takes over with copious grammatical crises: “We’ll restore peace in (to) PDP—Atiku”

Next is its Views Page: “Parents have thus out of greed or fear of discharging their responsibilities to the (their) children, (needless comma) give (given) them out….”

“Both the federal and states (sic) government (federal and state governments) must take steps to ensure that….”

“There is thus the need to separate politicking from electioneering campaign.” ‘Electioneering’ encompasses ‘campaign.’

“…and the ousted leadership of the school’s parents/teachers’ association.” Education Today: parent-teacher association

“St. Saviour’s School commissions (gradually becoming a cliché!) N200m classrooms”

“Forex reserves drops (drop) 0.17% to three month (three-month) low” Because of its grouping role, the hyphen forms adjectives. Otherwise, some lexical combinations will become awkward and ambiguous.

Please note that ‘but’ and ‘however’ cannot co-function. And this: ‘at’ applies to a definite time; while ‘about’ refers to an approximate time. Therefore, to use both in the same environment is contradictory and confusing. But you can say ‘at or about’…in an informal setting that allows such escapist latitude! Lastly: ‘likes’ take ‘compare with’ and unlike terms ‘compare to.’ An example, talking football: You can compare MLS striker Lionel Messi with AL Nassr playmaker Christiano Ronaldo, but Messi to Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man prior to retirement. However, at a classical level, some likes are incomparable with one another: Nigerian local league players cannot be compared with, but to, either Messi or Ronaldo! I hope these differences are clear now. I welcome requests for elucidation if they are still vague.

Back to Daily Champion under review: “…activities of unlicensed designers is (are) shrinking its market in Nigeria.”

“Air-purifying, energy saving (why omit the second hyphen?) AC unveiled as Panasonic stirs competition”

“Police counsel Ogun monarchs on grassroot (grassroots) policing”

“Unlawful possession of firearms: Vigilante boss exonerated” Community Mirror: vigilance boss or vigilantes’ boss

“Ota DPO calls for concerted efforts (effort) in traffic management”

Finally from the Back Page of Daily Champion which circulated three blunders: “In this critical area, this government has failed woefully (abysmally)….”

“Another job creating (job-creating) initiative like the….”

“…functional national infrastructure which are still lacking in our oil dependent (oil-dependent) economy.”

Last Tuesday’s edition of Daily Independent lied in defence of its advertorial freedom: “Mama, tens of decades of exemplary contributions to the upliftment (uplift) of common people….” There is no such word known as ‘upliftment’ in the English language lexicon. Please note that some online dictionaries and a few other dialects of the English language approve ‘upliftment’! My reference point is the British Standard English (BrSE). I am not bothered by the more than160 dialects of English globally. I exclusively advocate standard English English.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER, of June 24 did not practise robust journalism, as it advocates, on nine occasions: “Enjoy round the clock banking!” (Full-page advertisement by GT Bank) At your service adjectivally: round-the-clock banking!

“HICC pledge (pledges) to support FG’s war against corruption.”

“Our daddy, on this auspicious occasion of your birthday anniversary….” ‘Birthday’ and ‘anniversary’ cannot co-function on the same platform.

“I am not an advocate for albinos to marry themselves (one another)….”

“It was a beehive of activities…as the celebrant’s (celebrator’s) parents….” Fairground: a hive of activity (not a beehive of activities)!

“Your fight for the less privilege (underprivileged) and down trodden (downtrodden) has (had) indeed changed lives for the better, (a full stop) you are (were) indeed a rare gem.” (Full-page advertisement)

Daily Trusts Views Page of June 20 takes over the baton with two errors: “There is a marked difference between political activities and electioneering campaigns.” In the interest of existential humanism, let us end it at ‘electioneering’ which includes ‘campaigns.’

“…the interest of the common man in the street.” The man in the street is basically common! Do not aggravate his circumstance by adding ‘common’!

“Glo’s Move to Greener Pastures (Move-to-Greener-Pastures) campaign hits over 50, 000 views (sic)”

“Man charged for (with) tossing wife off cruise ship”

The last slipshod entry from Daily Trust just before its editorial: “Italy’s first back (black) minister gets death threat”

“…which are interpreted to include the right for (to) sexual preferences.”

Leadership of June 19, my birthday, goofed on many occasions: “FG says its (it’s) suffering cash crunch”

“Globacom to storm eight cities with Glo slide and bounce tour” Voice of The Nation: Glo slide-and-bounce tour. Does the telecommunications company have issues with hyphenation?

“Encomium galore as Anambra council boss bags award” City: Encomiums galore

“The Lagos PDP, until recently, was bedevilled by intra-party crisis (an intra-party crisis) that has made….”

“APC presidential shoes fits (how?) Okorocha”

“Obituary announcement” Just obituary!

“Corruption destroying the fabrics (fabric) of Nigeria”

“Eagles (Eagles’) attack worries NFF” 

“Aba IPP to be commissioned (inaugurated/launched…) in August—Prof. Nnaji”

The Guardian Front Page Lead Story of June 18 goofed: “…work at Baro Port (Niger State), Oguta (Imo State) and Jamata (Lokoja, Kogi State) (a comma) according to the government (another comma) has reached an advanced stage.” What is ‘an advanced stage’? How is the reader expected to know the extent of work carried out with this kind of ambiguous phrase (journalese)? This is loose thinking and speculative writing! Let reporters and their editors express their findings in graphical or statistical terms (percentage)—this way, the reader develops a fair idea and perception of the scope of work done. This makes sense in the absence of exactitude!

“…the set-up that has proved to be every inch a drain of (on) public purse…” (The Guardian, June 18)