Gov. Ganduje Falters

MEDIAGAFFES 

with Ebere Wabara

ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948

DAILY SUN of October 31 welcomes us this week: “DMO raises alarm (the alarm) over cost of debt servicing”

The following juvenile blunders are from Bank of Industry (BoI) full-page advertisement, DAILY SUN, October 31, Page 19: “…I was a serving corp (corps) member with Lagos State. I now own a shoe manufacturing (shoe-manufacturing) line.”

“…I advice (advise) all serving corps member (members)….” If we must transform Nigeria’s industrial sector, we must write it right!

“…daughter dies in autocrash (auto-crash)…near toll gate in Lagos State last week Tuesday.” Get it right: last Tuesday or Tuesday, last week

“Fire service saves 5, losses (loses) 3 in Nasarawa”

From the Voice of The Nation editorial headline comes this: “Tighten loose ends at revenue generating (revenue-generating) agencies”

“…but coveted posts won’t be handed to us without our pressing for it (them), openly or discreetly.”

“More grease (power) to your elbow” (Full-page congratulatory message for Senator Osita Izunaso signed by His Excellency, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Governor of Kano State, DAILY SUN, October 31, 2016)

Did you know that ‘write me’ is American English, while the formal (British standard) form is ‘write to me’?

“Our prayers is (why?) that Almighty God should grant you more wisdom….” (Full-page advertorial, THISDAY, October 29)

“Round-the clock news from around the world” (StarTimes Full-page advertisement) Adjectival entry: Round-the-clock news

National Mirror of October 31 contained an avalanche of mistakes starting from the following  watery headline to its Views and Editorial Pages and other equally wobbly departments:  “Ajimobi commissions (auspicates, inaugurates, opens, establishes, launches, initiates, unveils…) Asejire water plant, 17 years after” The verbal context of ‘commission’ here is utterly wrong and shows a poverty of vocabulary. I do not understand why journalists keep fumbling ridiculously and lousily with this word every day despite innumerable corrections here! This is sheer misrepresentation of the diligent and pacesetting Oyo State Governor, Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi.

“Katsina PDP: Why late (the late) President Yar’Adua’s close associates are defecting to APC”

“It is in the interest of the nation (Nigeria is a country—not a nation, by the way) that the press should at all time (times) expose corrupt officers….”

“…to the consternation of majority (a majority) of the citizens who look up to such businesses to serve public needs.”

“Administrator advocates more scholarships for indigents” When did ‘indigent’, an adjective, become a noun?”

“People who cannot read or write and who have never seen the four walls of a secondary school….” Education Today: the walls (not four walls)!

Lastly from NATIONAL MIRROR Back Page Banner: “Right sizing the civil service: A more realistic approach” Spell-check: rightsizing

DAILY SUN of October 29 fumbled twice: “These big masquerades (masqueraders) entered the world and destroyed sacred….” Masqueraders wear masquerades, masks, etc.

“Man remanded over (for) alleged killing of wife”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MAGAZINE of October 30 disseminated just two solecisms: “…in this piece pays tribute to one of Africa’s notable poet (poets) as he enters the winter of life.”

“Small business start ups tips” Get it right: start-up tips

“Its (It’s) been 7 years since you left us but memories of you lingers (linger) in our hearts.” (Full-page advertisement)

“Congratulations…for (on/upon) participating in the National Growth Challenge September to December 2013…sponsored by Unilever”

DAILY SUN of October 28 comes next: “Borno reviews 24hrs (sic) curfew” and “Igbo community in Kano elects new officers” This way: 24-hour curfew/24 hours’ curfew. The community elected officials (not the otiose ‘new’)—if they were old officials, you re-elect!

“Japanese diplomat arrested over (for/in connection with) fire at DRC embassy”

“Torching (Touching) lives of orphans through sports”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY of October 23 disseminated four infractions: “Campaigners accuse Shell over (of) weapons”

“Aregbesola, Tinubu, Oritsejafor pay last respect (respects) to….”

THISDAY of August 17 also circulated four blunders: “FG hands tanker drivers 48hrs (48 hrs’) ultimatum to relocate from MMIA” By the way, what difference would it have made spelling out ‘hours’?

“In its stead comes a mind-blowing display of opulence that has suddenly taken a firm root among the elite and nouveau riche….” Singular: nouveau riche; plural: nouveaux riches

“Before now, weather forecasts from NIMET were never taken serious (seriously) because….”

Lastly from THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER of October 29: “As part of the build up (build-up) to the event….”

The PUNCH of October 28 published a few mistakes: “AT least one person was feared killed on Thursday morning when a 12-man armed bandits (12-man gang of bandits) struck at….” ‘Banditry’ involves the deployment of a measure of violence with sharp objects/instruments/weaponry during robbery. So, ‘armed banditry’ is sheer verbosity! Of course, robbery and armed robbery

“Ban condemns crack down (crackdown) on Cairo protesters”

Lastly from the Back Page of The PUNCH under review: “…whereas they are kept at arms’ length.” Friday musings: arm’s length

“Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko (right), paying his (it could not have been another person’s!) last respect (respects) to the late (we do not pay last respects to the living!) General Evangelist…at the lying-in-state and commendation service for the late (again, what’s going on with this back page caption?) clergyman in Akure…on Thursday.” (Source: as above) A rewrite: …Mimiko paying last respects to the General Evangelist…at…for the clergyman….

“…said that the aforementioned are (were) the younger generation of leaders who failed the nation.” (DAILY SUN, August 14)

DAILY SUN of August 7 goofed three times: “State of emergency has restored normalcy in (to) North”

“NIMASA alerts ships (ship owners, you mean?) on (to) danger spots”

The Guardian of August 6 committed copious offences beginning from its front page; “Besides, the state government on Sunday began the fumigation and clearing of drainages in six areas of the Maiduguri metropolis….” Conscience, nurtured by truth: ‘drainage’ is uncountable.

“Bank of England’s rate policy may highten (heighten) inflation”

“Maid set ablaze dies in hospital, as police pledges (pledge) justice”

“They may not have triumphed in their efforts to (at) nation-building….”

“Your wise counsels and dogged commitment to the progress and unity of this nation has (have) remained exemplary.” (Full-page congratulatory advertisement by…. ‘Counsel’ is a non-count noun.

“Some allege without proof that Tinubu is the force behind…in his determination to confront….” (THISDAY, August 3). If the word ‘allege’ means ‘to assert something without any proof’, then delete ‘without proof’ from the extract!

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