Moneybags, Not ‘Moneybag’ 

Ebere Wabara

“REPS panel summon health minister over $300m anti-malaria fund” Get it right: Reps’ (take note of the apostrophe) panel summons (not ‘summon’)…

“IIM UK highlights power of intelligent technologies, inducts new members” Would it have inducted old members? Induction is for new members/entrants.

“Throughout your tenure, you have (had) exemplified the true essence of servant leadership…working tirelessly to enhance the lives of every citizen in your state.” This way: life of every citizen or lives of all citizens in your state.

“Your impact in (on) public service and footprints while as the Chief Shepherd of Enugu State cannot be erased in (from) the annals of history.” Why not simply from history or the annals?

“…in retaliation to (for) the killing of 19 soldiers….”

“Currently, the government is combining public enlightenment strategies to sensitize Lagosians on (to) this development….”

“Ondo Guber (governorship): It’II be difficult for moneybag (moneybags) to fly APC flag”

“NGX: Investors’ appetite for bank stocks rise (rises) amid CBN recapitalisation (recapitalization, preferably) directive”

“Religion can’t divide us, Akpabio assures” Who did the Senate president assure?

“Honestly, Nigeria is doomed without a new people’s constitution….” Just a new constitution: is there anyone that is not people’s constitution? Perhaps, an automobile constitution!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           “…NYSC DG raises alarm (the alarm), says they’re on their own.”   “Under-21 World Cup kicks-off (kicks off) with Brazil, Croatia” 

“The affected states are Borno, Adamawa and Yobe where further posting of corps members have (has) been suspended over security concerns.”

“…as the remains of…arrives (arrive) at the National Hospital, Abuja, yesterday.”

“Food poisoning kills family of five, 3 others on danger list” National News: the danger list (fixed/stock expression)

“Ekiti commissioner slams N1bn suit on police assault (on police for assault)”

“Aftermath of rigged Ekiti governorship primaries: Ekiti PDP at crossroad” (Full-page advertorial by the PDP Ekiti State Chapter) A party that is always at a/the crossroads 

“We commend and support Mr. President’s genuine efforts at restoring peace and stability in (to) the country.” 

Finally from Ekiti State Chapter of the PDP: “The utterances and conduct of the candidate indicates (why?)….”

“All her personal belongings, jewelries, phones….” Existential humanism: ‘jewelry’ (also jewellery—BrE) is non-count.

“…they are busy with dreams of sudden wealth and opulence lifestyle.” Either: opulent lifestyle or opulence.

“They are paid and maintained by tax-payers’ money to give us a crime free (crime-free) society.”

“UI mourns late chancellor” Campus News: The foremost citadel cannot mourn a living person! So, yank away ‘late’

“Lagos sets (set) to eradicate blindness among students” “Multiple taxation hinder (hinders) tourism development—FTAN”

“New automotive policy threatens N25bn investment at (in) Lagos port”

“…policies that will attract both local and foreign investors into (to) the state….”

“…the right decisions that could restore hope and national pride at trying times like this.” In search of game changers: at a trying time like this or at trying times like these.

Wrong application of adjectives: overage players; right: over-age players; and high profile politicians (wrong); right: high-profile politicians. 

“The remains (plural) of the Emir of Kano…has (have) been….”

“The Nation condemns action…vehicles convening (conveying) our parcels….” (Source: THE NATION, March 7)

Note that ‘lots’ and ‘lots of’ are colloquial substitutes for ‘many’, ‘much’ or ‘great deal of’, ‘a number of’, etc. Avoid their use in formal writing as they have been declared obsolescent.

“Based on these allocations, the finance minister urged Nigerians to demand for an investigation of….” Delete ‘for’, which applies when ‘demand’ is used as a noun. My strident demand for good governance in Abia State led to my near-fatalistic abduction on March 28, 2014, by a combined team of Abia and Lagos policemen numbering 17! Last Thursday marked the tenth year of the sadistic misadventure by the scoundrel called Theodore Ahamefule Orji!

“…the apparent disinterest of the citizens in holding the governors and local government administrators to account on (for) the financial resources entrusted in their care.” 

“Navy keep (keeps) fit to defend waterways”

“NGO mediates on (in) tax complaints in Lagos councils”

“At the time of this editorial, no government official from the Presidency has (had) issued any statement on this primitive show of force.”

The next four blunders are from a full-page advertorial by Coalition Against Building Collapse: “The coalition has observed that inspite (in spite) of our intervention….”

“The argument about price and scarcity is lame and begging the answer (and begs the question).”

“As a consumer movement whose focus is in (on) the area of safe building….”

“…cement brands that do not comply to (with) the new standard.” 

“Rev. Sam Adeyemi advises single ladies” This way: Adeyemi advises spinsters (Headlines are not supposed to be full sentences)

“Soldiers arrest man over (for) alleged complicity in daughter’s kidnap” Sub-editors should not, under any disguise, tamper with fixed/stock expressions or idioms. There is no such poetic, literary, scholastic, pedantic or journalistic licence!

“This is even more so for the youth corps members who may be deployed to (in) this critical assignment against their will and better judgment.” 

“But his life was nearly snuffed out by late (the late) Gen. Sani Abacha.”

“For example, the decongestion of the Lagos ports within few (a few) weeks of….”

“How to stimulate Nigeria’s medical tourism potentials, by experts” Lifeline: ‘potential’ is non-count unlike ‘potentiality’.

“Patient (Patients) should not engage in strenous exercises” Spell-check: strenuous

“This is a welcome development, considering the fact that efforts to tackle the problem with military might alone has (have) also failed to achieve the desired objective of restoring peace in (to) the affected parts of the country.”

“Besides, the NSA said that (sic) the six governors in the Boko Haram strongholds will (would) work with….”

Vanguard of February 29 ended the month on a lexical sour note beginning from its Views Page, as usual: “The gap between the rich and the poor is constantly widening as there is no concerted efforts (effort) by the powers that be (powers-that-be) to….”

“This explains the incidents of rural-urban drifts that have worsen (worsened) the security challenges in the cities.”

“NANS condones (condoles) with Wigwe’s family”

From Vanguard schoolboy blunders we move over to The Guardian of February 9 which nurtured two falsehoods: “Our committee has the responsibility to oversight (oversee) BPP….”

“…it is not to intimidate or witch-hunt them but to rub minds (dialogue, exchange ideas, discuss, talk, converse—not ‘rub minds’!) and enlighten….” How do you even ‘rub minds’?

THISDAY of February 6 grappled with basic grammar: “…the debate had far progressed beyond the introductory stage to the question and answer (question-and-answer) session.