Mike Adenuga: My Slips’

Expression By Ebere Wabara

I  just found out this Thursday that in one of the copious versions of my congratulatory essays on the 70th Birthday of Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., GCON, I circulated my own Freudian slip: “…this Grand Commander was most loved and favoured of all her (his) mother’s five children.” A testament to man’s fallibility! Indeed, as the saying goes, ‘nobody is above mistake’! 

An aside: no journalist or writer in this country has written more than this columnist about The Bull and his conglomerate that constitutes the exponential Mike Adenuga Group, particularly Globacom. I stand to be challenged! My unprecedented advertorial and editorial splashes in all the major national newspapers and respected online platforms are still attracting profuse and profound discussions and commendations nationwide months after the epochal display of unparalleled communicative ingenuity in celebration of a global citizen!

Yet another careless slip-up: “…on the ascendancy” Get it right: in the ascendancy. Is there still printer’s devil in this computer age? Accept my apologies.

“Out of bound (bounds) to all non-staff” (bokku! MART, Ijesha Road outlet, Lagos)

Curbing illicit financial flows: “He also stated that Nigeria has (had) become a transit country of (for) illicit money laundering to other African countries and the world.” 

“He cautioned that if the trend is (was) not checked….”

“IN 2015, the AU panel stated that about $50billion ($50 billion) illicit funds leave (left) the African continent annually (yearly, preferably)”

“The report stated that the irony of Nigeria’s economic situation stems (stemmed) from the fact that the federal government has (had) not been tackling illicit financial flows as it should….”

“I congratulate you and wish you more successes as your firms with specialisation (specialization, preferably) in oil and gas drilling continues (continue) to soar in the orbit of global impact.”

“…and expose them to international trainings (training) and equipment needed to soar.”   

“So it is high time Nigeria begins (began) to….”

“Suarez: biting more than he can chew” This way, ThisDay: biting off more than he can chew

“Golden gallands to a worthy friend @ 50…” Happy birthday: garlands

Daily Independent Online of July 30 murdered the English language: “Syrian Prime Minister escapes assassination attempt” The fact that the man escaped the attack presupposes an attempt on his life. So, Syrian PM escapes assassination

“Phone thief bags 45 years jail” All the facts, all the sides: 45 years’ jail term

”Senators pass vote of confidence on (in) Akpabio” Confidence in (not on) somebody—the ‘passing’ should not confuse anyone. 

Daily Trust of July 30 contained two school-boy howlers: “The issue of who occupies what political position in the country and under (on) which platform appears….”

“In advanced (an advanced) democracy like the US….”

“Dearth of funding slow job creation efforts” Business & Finance: …slows down job-creation efforts

“The Alade Market incidence (incident)….”

“Unknown gunmen raid bank, kill three policemen, two others” (THE GUARDIAN, April 30) Yank away ‘unknown’ in the interest of our lexical sanity!  

“The impending NGF election has polarized the 36 states (state) governors into two camps….”

“…I had lot of contracts with many corporate organizations.” Global soccer: a lot of contracts or lots of contracts (depending on context).

“Police arrest Oloko over (for) ex-Oyo SSG guard’s murder” 

“But industrial relations experts are apprehensive that currently the rate of strikes are (is) undeniably alarming.”

“Strike actions: Lawful but inexpedient” We certainly do not need ‘action’ here.  Simply strike.  All strikes are action-based.

“I am looking forward to the next Igbo summit to comprise of all the Igbo-speaking fragments irrespective of where they are located.”  In order not to abort the language dream, delete the first ‘of’ and move to the next two errors from the same medium (name withheld like Nigerian newspaper reportage!).

“And in Nigeria, subsequent military regimes which held sway finally culminated into (in) the most dreaded era of military rule in the country—the Sani Abacha years.”

“No wonder therefore that every inaction of these elected leaders only seek (seeks) to further entrench and protect the many years of brigandage on this nation.”

“Its diverse composition reflected in (on) how its different peoples were organized prior to 1914.”

“We have no genuine reconciliation in Nigeria even though the Oputa panel did its very best.”  ‘Best’ is an absolute and, as such, does not admit qualification of any sort (very).

“As the governor of Akwa Ibom, he has not reneged on both promises to his party and his electioneering campaign promises to the people of the state.”  Either electioneering or campaign.  Both cannot co-exist.

“…before the advent of the Europeans in Nigeria, most societies or kingdoms have thriving and stable political system….” This way: kingdoms had (not have) a (a vital component) thriving and stable political system.

“Somebody who can formulate policies and see to its execution to the minute (minutest) detail.”  An eye for detail: policies and their (not its) execution.

“As such (a comma) the little time that have been given to the politicians.…”  Time that has….

FEEDBACK

“PLEASE, tell your readers that ‘drainage’ is a network of drains, a system. It is non-count. So, we clear drains, not drainages.” (Contributor: KENNETH UGBECHIE)

“THANK you so very much for your informative column. Nothing grates my nerves more than the careless mistakes and awful grammar in our dailies. Sadly, on display for the world to see! I only hope your messages get across. Regards” (YETUNDE GIWA-AMU/08085433233)

“HELP me use this must-read column in reminding lawyers and the Ministry of Justice that ‘DPP’ is the abbreviation for Director of Public Prosecutions, not ‘Director of Public Prosecution’ as it is often called and written. In the name, the noun ‘prosecution’ is used in the plural form.” (Contributor: STANLEY NDUAGU/08062925996)

ADVICE: Contributors to views expressed here or other related issues should cite authorities and references to support their positions. This is a research-based column for well-informed exchange of dispassionate ideas. There must be a cerebral basis for arguments and counter-views—not pedestrian, unscholarly, declarations which I am inundated with daily! I beg una, dear readers.