“AS we march out of the first quarter: “Niger Assembly raises alarm over escalation of bandit attacks in state” A rewrite: Niger Assembly raises the alarm over escalation of banditry in state” Please note that ‘banditry’ is uncountable.

“The Executive Committee and the entire members of the ALBON, (needless comma) felicitate with you as….” Heartily delete ‘with’!

“For our democracy to succeed and remain useful for (to) the citizenry, we require a new set of leaders.”

“The mandate of NCDC (the NCDC) include (includes) receiving and….”

“The establishment of the development agency to restore normalcy in (to) the region and drive its reconstruction is therefore right and proper.”

“Achieving this requires addressing the perennial farmer/herder (farmer-herder) clashes and communal crisis (crises) in the region.”

“Those appointed to oversee the management of the development commissions must see it as a call for (to) service.”

“Umuada Igbo tackles (tackle) mental health (or ill-health?), partners (partner) US group…”

“Rejoinder to a fake news” ‘News’ is uncountable. So, take out ‘a’. (Federal Ministry of Transportation please take note vis-à-vis a recent half-page advertorial!)

“New twist as Nnamdi Kanu opts for self defence (self-defence) in trial”

“…always breaking new ground (grounds) of opportunities and giving succor (succour) to the needy.” ‘Succor’ is American English, while the correction is British.

“Your contributions to the development of our great club is (are) highly commendable.”

Overheard: “I do (did) not hear what you said.”

“He said that Nigeria posses (possesses) the right leaders, but yet to get it right despite its huge potentials (potential).”

“Bring back our girls protest hits Rivers” This way: ‘Bring-back-our-girls protest’ hits Rivers

“He said the state government is (was) delivering on affordable homes as promised.” I do not know why basic principles of reported speech should be challenging for some journalists!

“UNICAL expels 107 students over (for) certificate forgery”

“The practice of ruling party wins-all-council (win-all-council) offices has made stakeholders to see the SIECs as irrelevant and undesired (undesirable), thus leading to calls for its (their) scrapping.”

“…SSA to the acting governor of Taraba State on Media and Publicity recently speaks to (recently spoke with) journalists….”

“Librarians blame high cost of printing on incessant power outage” Education Today: incessant power outages/cuts

“Polytechnics (Polytechnic) Medical Directors elect officers (officials)”

“Forging Pan African (pan-Africa) integration through unified marketing education”

“Dollar falls to lowest since October on lower yields” Global News: lowest level

“Genetics explain (explains) why some twins are bigger than others”

“Why DStv staged All Stars (all-star) show”

“Lack of funding, poor management (mismanagement) and lack of vision has (have) stunted the development of….” 

“OSSAA reads Riot Act to outdoor owners” Brands & Marketing: the riot act

“Maybe the scales has (have) now fallen off the president (president’s) eyes….”

Related News

“…to advise and not to keep poke-nosing into the affairs of the nation….” There is nothing like ‘poke-nosing’. Get it right (informal): poke your nose into something! So, the man should be advised not to keep poking his nose into the nation’s affairs. Nobody has the right/licence to change fixed/stock phrases, especially as borrowed users of the English language.

Usage note: both ‘singlehandedly’ and ‘singlehanded’ are correct and can interchangeably be used.

Someone should inform Classic FM 97.3 presenters, editors and newscasters that the right expressions are ‘mature people’ and ‘marching orders’—not ‘matured people’ and ‘marching order’!

Wrong: A force to reckon with

Right: A force to be reckoned with

“95,926 candidates to write (do/take/sit) exams”

“The late National Security Adviser, Andre Owoye Azazi, said that modern equipment had to be provided as a way of bringing the insecurity crisis (security crisis) to an end.” Usage note: we correctly say or write insecurity or security crisis/security problem/security challenge. Similarly, unemployment or employment problem/crisis/challenge…. 

“…the fallouts from the aborted visit are still reverberating in democratic circles all over the country.” Barometer: ‘fallout’ is non-count.

“Nyanya blast: Troops arrest 8 Nigerian (Nigerien), Cameroonian suspects”

The comment page of the above edition follows with just two minor drawbacks: “It tells of how we value human lives, compared to how people in more civilized climes value same (the same)….”

“More worrisome is the harsh reality that majority (a majority) of the victims were pupils….”

“Group sensitises (sensitizes, preferably) traders on (to) security”

“…on discovering the business potentials (potential) in comedy….”

The next serial errors are from a full-page press release signed by (name withheld): “To review the overall conduct of the wards congresses with view to determine harmonious acceptable outcome….” Get it right: …ward congresses with a view to determining a harmonious and an acceptable outcome….

“To monitor and supervise the process and resolution of any problem that might have arise (arisen).”

“The state congress committee, therefore (another comma) wish to announce the re-schedule (rescheduling) of the congresses in the state.”

Finally from the blunder-ridden press release: “By this notice, all card carrying (card-carrying) members of APC (the APC) in the state are advice (advised) to prepare for the congresses.”

“…and majority (a majority) of media practitioners (professionals)” We can talk of medical or legal practitioners. Journalists do not practise ‘media’ as doctors and lawyers practise medicine and law respectively!   

“Change of name is now published every Sundays….” Either every Sunday or all Sundays: this is a yellow card!

The lexical crises continue as usual: “Police arrest 20 students over (for) protest in Delta”

“PDP commends non-partisan approach on (to) terrorism”

“Borno records low malaria-related deaths” News extra: low malarial (adjectival) deaths, preferably

“President shelves Adamawa trip over mood of the nation” A rewrite: President shelves Adamawa trip over nation’s mood”

“He was rascally parading as a masquerade (masquerader) during Christmas.” ‘Masquerade’ is the mask/wooden or plastic symbol/effigy/facial caricature or covering while the wearer/carrier is the masquerader. It is close to ‘dupe’ (the person tricked) while the felon (trickster) is the ‘duper’ and the heinous act is known as ‘dupery’. But, often, people use ‘dupe’ to mean everything! A senior colleague of mine insists that the entry (masquerade) is correct, but I strongly disagree!

“Below are photographs of personalities at (on) the occasion.”

“…the board said the extension of Otti’s tenure is (was) in recognition and appreciation of his ….”

“Flight operations restored in (to) Kaduna”