Masari Bungles Buhari

MEDIA GAFFES AND POLITY 

By Ebere Wabara; ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948

HAPPY New Year in advance: “Buhari unwilling to fight herdsmen (herdsmen’s) menace, alleges former NBA President, Dauda”

“Police declare Alaka, suspected Badoo kingpin (another comma lest it becomes two personalities) wanted”

“Disease control (Disease-control) centre cautions on cerebrospinal meningitis”

“Police end stop and search (stop-and-search) operations by Special Anti-Robbery Squad”

“EFCC arrests Innoson Motors CEO after hours stand off” (sic) (DAILY Sun Front Page Kicker, December 20) Voice of The Nation: hours’ standoff.

“…your family on the occasion of your 75th birthday anniversary.” (Full-page congratulatory advertorial for President Muhammadu Buhari on his 75th Birthday by Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, Katsina State Governor, DAILY SUN, December 20, 2017, Page 7) In this context, ‘birthday’ is the anniversary of one’s birth. So, ‘birthday anniversary’ is pleonastic.

“You have also restored the integrity of Nigeria among the community (comity) of nations, which had hitherto only saw (seen) a nation defined solely by corruption and inept and clueless leadership.” (Source: as above)                                                                                                    

Let us continue with a visit to Champion House, Ilasamaja, Mushin, Lagos: “Soldiers take over troubled spots” (Daily Champion Headline, December 20) Let peace reign: trouble spots.

“Post election violence spreads” (Vanguard Headline, December 19) Towards a better life for the people: Post-election violence….

Yet another headline solecism from Vanguard of the next day: “Post poll violence continues” Solution as above. Somebody should inform editors at Kirikiri Canal of this recurring lapse.

“Man killed in car accident” (Vanguard Headline, December 19) Why not ’’Man dies in car accident?’’ He was not killed!

“Nigerian loses his life in a ghastly auto crash in Greece.” (DAILY CHAMPION, December 19) It was a fatal (not ghastly) auto crash.

“President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, expressed sadness over the sporadic violent protest (protests)….” (Vanguard, December 19)

The next headline blunder is from one of last week’s editions of this medium: “Police arrest four over Maiduguri explosion” Do we arrest the entire editorial team for (not over) lexical recklessness?

“Bribery enthrones mediocrity and crucify merit.” (Source: as above) The Tabernacle of bribery crucifies merit.

“Gang up against Buhari will fail” (NIGERIAN Tribune Headline, 15 December) Phrasal verb: gang up; noun: gang-up (which applies here).

“We were treated to another similar incidence.…” All newspapers should know the difference between ‘incidence’ and ‘incident’ (which is the correct etymology here).

“Although the governor’s last minute romance with the main opposition party is held against him.…” Saturday People: last-minute (take note of the hyphen) romance….

“Thus, a core investor…with regards to optimal use of the machinery.…”  (THE GUARDIAN, December 12) Either: as regards or with regard to….

“In the heydays of the goggled General when fuel was often unavailable…” (THE GUARDIAN, December 20) Stranglehold of oil workers: heyday (uncountable).

“Last year, many houses of the Igbo in Ajegunle, a suburb of Lagos, were razed down.…” (THISDAY, December 20) No word abuse: simply razed (not razed down). Discard the contrary views by some registers!

Yet another headline gaffe: “Restrictions on inter-bank foreign exchange trading is (are) killing the market.”

“Armed robbers now have good company—street thugs and unofficial vigilante groups.” (THE GUARDIAN, December 20) Democracy as a disincentive: vigilance groups.

“2015: Jonathan points accusing fingers at INEC….” (DAILY TRUST, December 20) People in the news: Jonathan points the finger. No obtuse addition.

“Nigeria is at a crossroad” (VANGUARD, December 25) Fixed expression: at a/ the crossroads.

“Stationeries badly needed by.…” (DAILY INDEPENDENT, December 20) ‘Stationery’ is non-count.

“But what appears criminal is the desire of these off-springs of.…” (DAILY CHAMPION, December 20) ‘Offspring’ does not take any inflection.

The next three goofs are from VANGUARD of December 20: ”…the process of economic integration from which will emerge an economic block (bloc).…”

“There is a tussle going on between these two (would it have been three?) arms of government.”

“Nigerian leaders and politicians have continued to adopt and acquiesce to (in).…”

“Globacom sets (set) to rule domestic market” (Nigerian Tribune, December 20)

“I have been briefed that the wrangling among the leaders of PDP are (is) over.” (SUNDAY VANGUARD, December 24)

BusinessDay of December 20 disseminated an embarrassing impropriety: “Now that the Police has (have) taken over the supervision of the….”

“…and ensure it does not reoccur again.”  (THE GUARDIAN, December 20) ‘Reoccur again’? Run for cover, my dear reader! Just recur. Recur, recurrence, recurrent. Occur, occurred, occurrence.

“Lack of incentives anger (angers) local manufacturers” (THE GUARDIAN, December 20)  “They provide temporary relief.” (Source: as above) ‘Temporary relief? I strongly object to this clumsy expression because there is no permanence in ‘relief’.

THE PUNCH of December 20 circulated three solecisms: “The patients pay for each act of ‘healing’ through their noses.” Get it right: they pay through the nose.

“At the launching programme (launch) in Abuja.…”

“A cursory look at the figures show (shows) that.…”

Daily Sun of December 19 circulated copious shibboleths: “The end point is that people wait for between three to five hours to pay in their drafts.” English without tears: between three and five hours.

“With the attainment of the highest office at any strata of government….” Singular: stratum; plural: strata/stratums.

“It may be difficult for Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu to resurrect again politically after his disastrous outing in the presidential elections.”  Please, yank off ‘again’ in the interest of lexical sanity and our democracy.

“They better not rely on INEC.”  This way: They had better not rely on INEC.

“Like (As) we had said at various forums….”

“So, the government cannot ask the Supreme Court to interprete the law.” Spell-check: interpret

“…the reduction in the number of road accidents and causalities.” (National News, December 20)  This way: casualties.

“…to that extent, we shall congratulate its authors for (on/upon) hearing the deafening cry of Nigerians for an effective legislature.” (Nigerian Tribune, December 20)

“…were simultaneously a continuation of the power-bloc struggle in Nigeria and unanticipated fallouts from that struggle.”  (DAILY CHAMPION, December 20) ‘Fallout’ is uncountable.

“…appeal to the discredited tactics of past times also wreak havoc on the procedural sanctity of the democratic path.”  (Vanguard, December 20) Notes of disquiet: pastimes.

“Out-of-control trailer crushes 15 persons to death” When people are crushed by a trailer, they cannot be alive except there is a divine intervention.  So, ‘crushed to death’ smacks of lexical insensitivity.

POLITY STORIES

OLUREMI TINUBU

Let’s Work Towards the Nigeria of Our Dreams

T

he Senator representing Lagos Central in the National Assembly, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu has urged Nigerians to work towards the dreams of the country in 2018.

In her goodwill message for the New Year to her constituency in particular and to Nigerians in general, Mrs. Tinubu urged all not to leave nothing to chance, while working towards a new Nigeria.

She said: “I congratulate all the good people of Lagos Central Senatorial District, Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole for making it into the New Year 2018. It is indeed a privilege to still be here.

“The last year, 2017, was fraught with issues ranging from ignoble to ostentatious. There was news of enormous corrupt practices, government scandal, slavery of our own people by fellow Africans, human rights abuses by those who should protect us etc. We also cannot ignore the issues arising from our inability to implement the 2017 appropriation Act and its effect on the living conditions of Nigerians. In spite of these however, there were high points among which are progress in the war against corruption, implementation of the school children feeding scheme, the N-Power programme to alleviate youth unemployment, the end of the recession and improvement in the ease of doing business ratings.

“As a people we understand the symbolism of the year 2018. This year many will indicate their intention to run for public offices and begin to take steps in this regard. As a people, we must start to be watchful, to ensure that we only give our mandate to the best people, who represent our interests. This year will go a long way in determining the future of Nigeria and her people.

“Thus I must urge us all at this time to work towards the Nigeria of our dreams, leaving nothing to chance. Every good thing, including building the Nigeria of our dreams takes effort. Thus I urge you to ensure that you do your best so that we all can laugh last.

“I welcome you all to the year 2018 and wish you God’s Blessings this year and over.”

Maritime Expert Flays Palletization of Containerized Cargo Imports

Ikaki Igoni

A

maritime expert, Sir Enoch Iwueze has flayed the Federal Government intention to begin the palletization of containerized cargo imports to Nigeria from next year.  Iwueze’s position is coming on the heels of the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun recently-announced Revised Import-Export Guidelines which kicks off January, 2018.

As announced by Adeosun, the guideline among other things, provides that from next month there will be palletization of containerized cargo imports into Nigeria.

Iwueze who is also the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Air Sea Freighters Limited stated that the decision of the Federal Government raises many unanswered questions just as it raises many issues.

In an exclusive interview with THISDAY at the weekend, the maritime expert with over three decades of experience said: “Although the ministry is yet to release list of goods that will be involved in the palletization and those to be exempted, looking at one of the conditions of allowing two foot space of clearance all round between the container walls and the cargo in order to allow customs officers to move round the container for inspection, is going to be contentious, considering the spaces to be wasted in relation to the freight chargeable by the shipping lines for a container”.

Iwueze who is also a chieftain of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) argued that the cargo to be loaded in container in such a manner that should allow two foot of clearance space all-round the container walls, has great limitation for cargo space, in which case, a lot of unutilized space will be created, which will be a waste.

According to him, the adverse effect of this will mean that the cargo tonnage/quantity normally loaded in a 20 foot container will now involve 1½ container in which case cargo for 2 x 20 foot containers will necessitate 3 x 20 foot.  This, apparently, will affect the freight cost including handling and transportation at both the port of origin and destination here in Nigeria.

The maritime expert pointed out that there are many goods which packaging will not necessitate palletization in container.

While waiting for the full list to be made public the ministry, he stated that non-palletization of goods does not in any way hinder the ease of doing business in the ports.

He argued that it was the bureaucracy in documentation as well as many government agencies in the ports that serve as barriers in the ease of doing business in the nation’s seaports, airports and international land borders.

“The essence of ease of doing business in Nigeria in line with the Executive Order Number One is to help reduce the hardship on the masses but any action that will increase the cost of doing business which will have adverse effect economically on the masses should call for review. Presently some of the shipping lines have given notice to the Nigerian importers for compliance with the policy by not accepting any cargo not palletized until the government list is made public.  One, therefore, foresees shortfall in statistical import tonnage in January and February, 2018”, he added.