‘Consensus Opinion’ Incorrect
Expression
Ebere Wabara
JUST before December: “…it was a soothing balm.” What else do balms do apart from soothing?
“It is however a consensus opinion that the home, that is parents, should bear the prime responsibility of introducing the subject.” For grammatical sanity, jettison ‘opinion’ from the extract.
“The occasion was held in Victoria Island.” Get it right: on Victoria Island.
“The accused policeman was said to have actually demanded for N10,000 before he was….” Simply delete ‘for’ from the excerpt.
“Bishop advocates for more states” ‘Advocacy’ in the verbal context does not take ‘for’.
“Two arrested over heroin seizure at Lagos Port” Very soon, I will arrest THISDAY editors for (not over) juvenile mistakes.
“…she opens up on how she gained entry into the world of make-belief….” Grammar is not make-believe.
“…the food situation in the continent….” Classical writing: on the continent
“Conspicuously absent at the wedding reception was former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida and his children….” Three issues: ‘Conspicuously absent’ is sheer illiteracy! (Absent at the….). ‘Military president’ can only come from a confused head. We can talk of military leader or military ruler (not the contradictory and vexatious extract). Finally, IBB and his children deserve plural treatment (were, not was).
“Producing ice-blocks without tears” (English without tears: ice cubes (not blocks).
“Unfortunately, the reality in Nigeria today is: who will throw the first stone?” The hard fact: cast the first stone.
“Customs intercept tanker load (what happened to the hyphen?) of drugs” The Nigeria Customs Service is an entity. So, NCS intercepts…
Did you know that ‘write me’ as contained in the Saturday PUNCH of November 25 is American English, while the formal (standard) form is ‘write to me’?
“Round-the clock news from around the world” (StarTimes Full-page advertisement from the above medium) Adjectival entry: Round-the-clock news
Daily Independent of November 19 contained an avalanche of mistakes starting from the following watery headline to its views and editorial pages and other equally wobbly departments: “Katsina PDP: Why late (the late) President Yar’Adua’s close associates are defecting to APC”
“It is in the interest of the nation (Nigeria is a country—not a nation, by the way) that the press should at all time (times) expose corrupt officers….”
“…to the consternation of majority (a majority) of the citizens who look up to such businesses to serve public needs.”
“Administrator advocates more scholarships for indigents” When did ‘indigent’, an adjective, become a noun?”
“People who cannot read or write and who have never seen the four walls of a secondary school….” Education Today: the walls (not four walls)!
Lastly from Daily Independent of November 19: “Right sizing the civil service: A more realistic approach” Spell-check: rightsizing
“Man remanded over (for) alleged killing of wife”
THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAGAZINE of November 5 disseminated just two solecisms: “…in this piece pays tribute to one of Africa’s notable poet (poets) as he enters the winter of life.”
“Small business start ups tips” Get it right: start-up tips. Also applicable: startup.
“Its (It’s) been 7 years since you left us but memories of you lingers (linger) in our hearts.” (Full-page advertisement, The PUNCH, December 6))
“Congratulations…for (on/upon) participating in the National Growth Challenge September to December 2023…sponsored by Unilever”
Daily Trust of December 4 comes next: “Borno reviews 24hrs (sic) curfew” and “Igbo community in Kano elects new officers” This way: 24-hour curfew/24 hours’ curfew. The community elected officials (not the otiose ‘new’)—if they were old officials, you re-elect!
“Japanese diplomat arrested over (for/in connection with) fire at DRC embassy”
“Torching (Touching) lives of orphans through sports”
THE NATION ON SUNDAY of November 19 disseminated this infraction: “Campaigners accuse Shell over (of) weapons”
THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER, of November 18 also circulated four blunders: “FG hands tanker drivers 48hrs (48 hrs’) ultimatum to relocate from MMIA” By the way, what difference would it have made spelling out ‘hours’?
“In its stead comes a mind-blowing display of opulence that has suddenly taken a firm root among the elite and nouveau riche….” Singular: nouveau riche; plural: nouveaux riches
“Before now, weather forecasts from NIMET were never taken serious (seriously) because….”
Lastly from THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER: “As part of the build up (build-up) to the event….”
The PUNCH of November 16 published a few mistakes: “AT least one person was feared killed on Thursday morning when a 12-man armed bandits (12-man gang of bandits) struck at….” ‘Banditry’ involves the deployment of a measure of violence with sharp objects/instruments/weaponry during robbery. So, ‘armed banditry’ is sheer verbosity! Of course, robbery and armed robbery
“UN condemns crack down (crackdown) on Cairo protesters”
Lastly from the Back Page of The PUNCH under review: “…whereas they are kept at arms’ length.” Friday musings: arm’s length
“…said that the aforementioned are (were) the younger generation of leaders who failed the nation.” (Daily Trust, August 14)
Leadership of August 7 goofed three times: “State of emergency has restored normalcy in (to) North”
“NIMASA alerts ships (ship owners, you mean?) on (to) danger spots”
The Guardian of August 6 committed copious offences beginning from its front page; “Besides, the state government on Sunday began the fumigation and clearing of drainages in six areas of the Maiduguri metropolis….” Conscience, nurtured by truth: ‘drainage’ is uncountable.
“Bank of England’s rate policy may highten (heighten) inflation”
“Maid set ablaze dies in hospital, as police pledges (pledge) justice”
Now The Guardian Editorial: “They may not have triumphed in their efforts to (at) nation-building….”
“Your wise counsels and dogged commitment to the progress and unity of this nation has (have) remained exemplary.” ‘Counsel’ is a non-count noun.
