‘Fallout’ Uncountable

Expression By Ebere Wabara

Daily Independent   Online of September 13 committed multifarious offences: “Fatai on the hospital bed….” Tribute: Fatai in the hospital bed

“The bill has stirred quite a lot of controversy (controversies).”

“…is against the spirit and letters of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution….” My view: either the spirit of the law or the letter of the law (the Nigerian 1999 Constitution) .

“The commissioning (please use other verbs—this has become a cliché) of the ultra-modern building complex….”

Yet another oddity: “The Plateau State Polytechnic, Barkin-Ladi, on Friday matriculated 4,800 new students admitted into various courses for the 2024/2025 academic session.” Posers: Do old (returning) students matriculate? And this: admission into various courses! Would they all have read the same course? This way: …matriculated 4,800 (students) for the 2024/2025 session. Of course, it has to be academic!

“Fire outbreak averted in hostel” Campus News: Fire averted in hostel

“Pan African (Pan-African) varsity commences operation in Nigeria”

“Effect of security in socio economic development in Nigeria” A rewrite: Effect of insecurity on (not in) socio-economic (take note) development in Nigeria

Still on the introductory medium: “Global investments in renewable energy drops (why?) by….”

“NUJ condemns police intolerance to (of) media” “…just as the service would be opened (open) to any brand or model of handset.”

Finally from Daily Independent Back Page: “…they are in every strata (stratum) of society….” And, of course: all strata/stratums.

“FG approves border free (border-free) trade zone for Borno” 

Last week’s muddle: “Jos, the capital of Plateau State (another comma) is one of the few cosmopolitan towns in the country that has (has) enjoyed peaceful co-existence relatively.” Get it right: Jos…one of the towns that have—not has!—enjoyed peaceful co-existence relatively. Instead of bracketing ‘have,’ the columnist put ‘has’ in parentheses! What a morphological tragedy! Please, accept my apologies.

More contributions to last week’s edition: ‘Followership’ has been in existence since 1928. Also, ‘witch-hunt’ is both a noun and an adjective. Source: Word Book Dictionary and Webster’s New Encyclopedic Dictionary. It is also listed in Oxford Dictionary of Current English. This columnist notes that most dictionaries and reference books, like the 2012 Longman Advanced Dictionary of Contemporary English and Roget’s Thesaurus, do not, however, list the contentious word.

‘Finger bowl’ is different from ‘wash-hand basin.’ The former is the plastic moved around for washing of hands, while the latter is usually affixed on a wall or metallic contraptions. (Intervention by Sunny Agbontaen/08055162531)

“Moro, who had exonerated the Interior Ministry of capability (culpability) while in office, revealed….” (Vanguard, September 9) Yet another input from a fan of this column “…some NWC members are urging the leadership of the party to exercise refrain (restraint) in further suspending the governors.” All well-informed readers are free to contribute to this column, too. The essence is to exchange robust ideas on the English language.

“Interior Minister swears in immigration boss, third on (in) the saddle” 

The Guardian of September 11 offered its esteemed readers a school-boy howler: “Had the said term been imposed in (on) any of those corruption cases involving public office holders, ears would not have tingled in the least.”

“Samsung Galaxy Reach for the Star contest all expense paid trip to Dubai for 10” (10 x 5 advertisement by Samsung, THE GUARDIAN) Get it right: all-expenses-paid trip!

Daily Trust disseminated advertorial and editorial gaffes: “Introducing Fidelity Managed SMEs….” (Full-page advertisement by Fidelity Bank PLC) We keep our word: what about Fidelity-managed SMEs?

“…road traffic accidents and transport related crimes and criminalities.” Not new: transport-related crimes and criminalities.

“…patients at LUTH are being turned down for shortage of bed space (spaces).”

“FG to pay-off (pay off) PHCN casual staff”

“The Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation expresses its profound gratitude and appreciation to all who answered the clarion call to be our brother’s keepers through….” For the attention of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation: brother’s keeper (fixed expression irrespective of number)!

“This appointment is well deserved, an attestation of (to) the transformation you have ignited in the Nigerian youth….”

“I believe such road (such a road) with large number (a large number) of vehicles….”

Finally from THISDAY: “Wada: Fulani herdsmen, farmers clash major security challenge” News extra: …farmers’ clash, major security challenge

Last week’s edition of this medium committed a few blunders starting from its front page: “Govs in fresh gang up against Tukur” Truth in defence of freedom: gang-up

“Community hails Fubara for commissioning (inaugurating) market”

Now the inside pages: “Majority (A majority) of the members of the House of Representatives seeking to make….”

“…people from the North who alleged that they had a talk with him with regards to 2027.” The Sunday Interview: with regard to or as regards “…which is one of the fallouts of the daily traffic jam.” Life: ‘fallout’ is uncountable.

Finally from the business section of THE NATION ON SUNDAY under review: “While some of the funds have been diverted to other uses….” Away from commercialese: ‘Diversion’ means to other uses other than the original purpose/intent. So, ‘diversion to other uses’ is sheer verbosity and smacks of half-literacy!

“NAMA recalls VIP’s already airborne chopper” If a helicopter is airborne, it is airborne—there is no need for ‘already’!

The last headline rape this week is from one of the leading newspapers in the north, Leadership, September 8: “Navy personnel ups (up) the ante in weapon handling, marksmanship”