‘Felicitate With’ Incorrect
Expression By Ebere Wabara
YOU are welcome to our language theatre: “’Forced’ retirement: Police officers lament IG’s non compliance (non-compliance) with court (court’s) ruling”
“All eyes on Reps over constitution review exercise” Please delete ‘exercise’ in the interest of word economy.
Daily Independent Online of February 26 joins the race this week with the next set of headline foibles: “KWASU partners USA, China (Chinese) coys on solar energy”
“Kogi farmers’ association allege (alleges) diversion of N1bn agric fund”
“Do they know it’s International Women’s Day” What of the question mark?
THE NATION ON SUNDAY of March 10 combated the English language in the following entries: “Somalia (Somali) president attacked by al-Shabab”
“…you have raised the bar of governance which will ever remain difficult for mediocre (mediocrities/mediocrists/the mediocre) to attain….” (Full-page advertorial) ‘Mediocre’ is an adjective.
“Benue 2027: PDP at crossroads over governorship candidate” This way: at a/the crossroads
“Nigerians are, however, skeptical about the level of compliance to (with) the laws guiding the scheme….”
“The governing council, members, management, staff & students of Osun College of Education, Ilesa (another comma) felicitates (how?)….”
“As a symbol, your strides lead the way and inspires (what is going on here?) the hope of a brighter and rewarding future.” (Half-page advertorial by the above institution)
“Any one (sic) with useful information (police cliché: would it have been useless information?) about his where about (sic) (whereabouts) should….” (Full-page advertorial by the FIRS)
“Those who say Ibadan don’t (doesn’t) serve gov twice are poor students of history”
LASU students, JAF protest over (against/at/about) fee hike”
“…work for the restoration of peace in (to) northern Nigeria.”
From the editorial to opinion page: “…the citizenry still needs (need) his enormous wealth of experience to stir us to path of rectitude.”
“All Anambra (All-Anambra) LG soccer championship set to kick off”
“…we had been invited on (to/for) a facility tour by the governor.”
“I thought the governor would ride in his official car, or join us in the bus as many other governors have (had) done on trips to other states.”
“We went round Owerri metropolis, seeing state of the art (state-of-the-art) schools….”
“Issues in the Chibok schoolgirls abduction” A syntactic surgery: Issues in Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction
Wrong: Face-me-I-face-you house
Right: Rooming house
“Royal father disowns vigilante (vigilance) group” (DAILY TRUST, February 23)
The Guardian front and inside pages of February 22 toyed with morphological truth: “Parents of abducted female students of the Government Girls (Girls’) Secondary School….” The Guardian must be underestimating its readers’ intelligence: would it have been male students in a girls’ school? If the front page can contain this kind of misprint, what will the inside pages look like?
“The aggrieved and traumatised parents spoke at (on) the premises of the destroyed school when….”
“Umar, Southern Taraba leaders trade words over frequent crisis (crises)”
“Nigeria has best disease surveillance (disease-surveillance) system in Africa”
“SURE-P assures over funding of East-West road” Who did the agency assure?
“…the ordinary poor man in the street….” The ‘man in the street’ does not require any embellishment!
Finally from The Guardian: “…the NJC is a body which every lawyer revere (reveres).”
Next is The PUNCH of February 22 with this faux pas: “FG wants African disease control
Leadership of February 22 circulated dozens of inaccuracies: “He said about 150 parents have (had) made spirited attempts last week in search of the abducted girls….”
“He said government has (had) brought food items to the town for….”
“…the case against the Nigerian was serious on the ground (grounds) that he had confessed that….”
“FCT suspends controversial ‘park and pay’ policy” No controversy: ‘park-and-pay’ policy
“MASSOB strikes out ex-Gov Obi’s name from awardees list” Get it right: awardees’ list
“UN raises alarm (the alarm) over ethnic slaughter in South Sudan”
“…restoring sanity in (to) the land….”
The next three wrongdoings are from the OPINION pages: “…unless they steal because the varsity has been prized (priced) out of the reach of the poor.”
“…Tinubu to take the bull by the horn (horns).”
“I want to wholeheartedly congratulate President Bola Tinubu for (on/upon) keeping his word….”
“Untold story of E. K. Clark (Clark’s) son’s kidnap, freedom”
“…as you project the vast potentials (potential) of ‘ndi-Anambra’, we wish to appreciate our governor….”
“…Chukwu on his 52nd Birthday anniversary….” Either 52nd Birthday or 52nd Anniversary (the two words cannot co-function).
“Sex enhancing drugs everywhere” Insight: Sex-enhancing drugs everywhere (Otherwise, it will be sex that will be enhancing the drugs)!
“Pomp and glamour as Lagos Traders (Traders’) Cup kicks off” Sports: either pomp and ceremony or pomp and circumstance or just pomp
“He can still warm (worm) himself to his benefactor in the true spirit of love and reconciliation.”
“He should deploy his energies to (in) rebuilding….”
“…as Kogi and Benue states have experienced it at one time or the other (one time or another).”
“While a section of the media has performed creditably well….” Yank away either ‘creditably’ or ‘well’ as both terms cannot co-exist.
“THE PDP has expressed serious concern at the fire outbreak, describing it as suspicious.” Just delete ‘outbreak’ on grounds of redundancy.
“Nigeria in search for (of) an enduring political structure…”
“NGO sensitises (sensitizes, preferably) girls on (to) engineering, STEM-related activities”
“…or through these number….” EFCC please take note: this number
“We urge that that it will (should) be sustained.”
“For instance, NLC would (should) have opposed land border closure by the immediate past government when it was clear that in Nigeria….”
“Zamfara, C’River, Adamawa, Ogun top cholera cases (case) list”
“Imo agog as APC Flags (sic) off mother of all campaign” Get it right: mother of all campaigns
“Chief Whip stages walk out (walkout) to protest Senate president’s out-of-order ruling”
“The management of the radio station, in a statement (how else?), said his body has (had) been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre….”
“The trustees of Royal Sports Club International, Abuja (another comma) felicitate with (felicitate) you as you mark the Golden (sic) age of 50.” Write right: ‘of 50’ is an overkill!
“13 teams battle for glory as activities build-up (build up).”
