‘Happy New Year in Advance’?

Ebere Wabara

JUST say Happy New Year! It cannot be in arrears or in the past because of its inherent concurrent currency from now till the end of January. It is absurd to say Happy New Year in February or still have Christmas decorations anywhere after January 31! Best wishes in 2024!

“We aim at making Nigeria’s upstream sector investors (investors’) destination—NUPRC boss”

“Commissioning of Amal Technology Production Facility for Gas Leak (Gas-leak) Detection Device and Printed Circuit Board”

Wrong: Philosopical Reflection; Right: Philosophical Reflection

“NNPCL, TotalEnergies sign MoU on adoption of methane detection (methane-detection) technology” 

Daily Trust of December 16 circulated a few mistakes: “Delta State sets (set) to pioneer medical tourism”

“He, in addition, assured that the NHIS would be improved to make it more productive.” Who did he assure?

“…as we use (used) to do every year.”

“FG projects N1.4trn yearly from crop processing (crop-processing) zones”

Let us welcome THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER, of December 24 for the last time this year starting with this school-boy faux pas: “The PPRO died in a ghastly (fatal) motor accident….” There is even no point for ‘fatality’ inclusion in the circumstance because of the fact that he died! That is one of the hallmarks of tight news reportage—for other illustrative, prose writings we can be explicitly demonstrative.

“Nigerian banks’ cost to income (cost-to-income) ratio still the highest in emerging, frontier markets”

“We got a marching order (We got marching orders) on N11.5bn Dutse Airport”

“When jokes goes (what!) sour”

“A new purpose-built gallery in (on) Victoria Island….”

The last contribution from THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER under review: “The expectation of the people was that the deputy governor would have be (been) the first person to follow his boss to APC….”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY of December 24 goofed right from one of its major pages: “We have restored hope in (to) Lagos”

From The Nation online come the next four infractions: “How 75 per cent of Nigeria (Nigerian) workers are stressed—study”  

“…for continents like Africa (for a continent like Africa) to attain a higher economic growth, the continent need (needs) to mix-up” For the umpteenth time, phrasal verbs abhor hyphenation!

“…revealed that economic volatility has increased pressure on Nigerian workers with 75 per cent reportedly seeing more stressed-related illness (illnesses) since the downturn.”

“2003 was a beehive of activities (a hive of activity) for the small and medium scale (medium-scale) enterprises….”

Lastly from THE NATION ON SUNDAY under review: “Former CAR president en route Benin Republic (en route to Benin Republic)”

DAILY Independent Online of December 13 comes next with two improprieties: “ALGON passes confidence of vote in president” Fixed expression: vote of confidence/confidence vote

The next three contributions are by Mr. Charles Okogene: “Terrorists bury arms in Abuja cemetary (cemetery)” (Sunday Vanguard, December 24)

“…he said the vehicles destroyed were the ones used during the attack and was (were) sited (sighted) through air surveillance….” (Source: as above)

“A few weeks ago, there was some news report (a news report) about the involvement of….”

“…all the major roads in the Eastern part of the country have become pure death traps and for challenging his (President’s) non-challant attitude and doing anything positive in Igboland (Igbo land).”  Get it right: nonchalant.

“…there have been series of polemical attacks of (on) the commission and its activities by an obscure and often fictitious section of the public.”  This way: a (take note) series of polemical attacks.

“The president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces also addressed the nation same evening.”  Get it right: the same evening.

“The almost impassible (impassable) roads accentuate the usual hectic traffic of motorists, making business transactions in Lagos a herculean task.”

“…robbers who held residents and commuters to ransome for hours….”  Spell-check: ransom.

“I doff my hat for.…” The right mix: I doff/take off (preferably) my hat to (not for).

“Out of lawyers’ population estimated at about 40,000, only 10 females have been opportuned (opportune) to adorn the silk.”

“This is another scintillating edition for the matured (mature) mind.”

“Preponderant of the views aired by the people centre (sic) around (upon, on) issues like corruption, unemployment.…” Running a true federation: preponderance…centres.

“Benue assures on abandoned project” Just tell readers who the state assured.  Enough of nightmarish banners….

“A recent report on food related (a hyphen) ailments show (shows) that in many parts of the world….”

“Besides, these storage facilities should be provided together with necessary agric inputs.”  Taming hunger: ‘input’ is uncountable in British Standard English, but takes an inflexion in corruptive American English! Unnecessary input?

“Unfortunately, however, I, and many other Nigerians, have been infuriated by our servants….” In pursuit of linguistic orderliness: many other Nigerians and I.  The concept of the cart and the horse applies to language usage, too.

“One can only hope that these peoples’ representatives would realise that the electorate is (are) patiently waiting for another chance.”

“But all our future blessings would be achieved through waiting in the Lord.”  If you are after God’s heart you wait on, not in, Him.

“Before embarking on the strike action….” You can as well embark on ‘strike inaction’! Just ‘strike’ please. 

“It was as though both informants were mischievous people who had an affinity in (for) discrediting the preachers.” 

“The vigilante group visited instant judgment on the thief and sent him to the great beyond.” In the name of excellence: The vigilance group.

“Sixteen people were killed and two others seriously injured in a ghastly (fatal) accident which occurred along (on) the Bauchi-Auchi road on Saturday. The mishap did not drag along the road, but occurred at a spot on the road.

“Some of the despotic regimes thrown up in (on) the continent did worse things than was (were) experienced under colonialism.”

“A weekly magazine took a professional risk and charged the speaker for (with) forgery.”

“By 1998, the figure has (had) increased positively.”

Wrong: pomp and pageantry; right: pomp and ceremony or pomp and circumstance or just pomp.