Sample 1: “The newly inaugurated Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, has resumed his official duties at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday to commence his four-year term as the Commander-in-Chief.” (President Tinubu resumes duties at Aso Rock…Opera News, 9 June, 2023)
I draw readers’ attention to the verb resume whichoccurs twice as follows: “The newly inaugurated Nigerian President, Bola, Tinubu has resumed his official duties…”; “President Tinubu resumes duties at Aso Rock Villa…” The writer has obviously confused the verb resume with assume, for the context does make it clear that the reference is to the circumstance of President Tinubu commencing work as the new Nigerian helmsman. Indeed, the reference is to Bola Tinubu’s first day in office as President. It is important to note the forms of the word in question: The noun form of assume is assumption; of resume is resumption.
The problem of insufficient grasp of the nuances of a word resulting in confusing its identity with that of another with varying degrees of seriousness is endemic in the Nigerian usage terrain. The problem arises because writers don’t care enough to make the words their “own” by thoroughly and consciously internalizing their essential and distinguishing properties.
The word resume under review here is a typical example. The impression the writer gives when he uses the verb resumed, as in many instances of the use of that verb or its noun form (resumption) in the Nigerian context, is that Dapo Abiodun has been on a break and has come back to work.
Some Nigerians would say, “The newly appointed Minister will resume duty on July 1” when they mean, “The newly appointed Minister will assume duty on July 1”. They would say, “The new Inspector-General of Police will resume duty next week” when they mean, “The new Inspector-General of Police will assume duty next week”. They would say, “The newly admitted students will resume (classes) next week” when they mean, “The newly admitted students will commence classes next week.”
We need to make a distinction between assumption of duty (which is about commencing work for the first time) and resumption of duty (which is about coming back to work after a break). To resume work is to begin to work again after one has stopped working, and to assume duty is to report for an assignment for the first time.
At any rate, the verb assumed should replace resume in the context under review.
Sample 2: “The televangelist and founder RIG Nation television was arrested alongside his wife by the DSS for political reasons supposedly bothering on his old prophecies…” (Pastor Tomi’s prophecy about Tinubu’s hands…Opera News, 8th April, 2023)
The word whose form and meaning are striking is bothering which occurs in the following context: “for political reasons supposedlybothering on his old prophecies…” This is a strange piece of communication and the strangeness derives from the more than curious use of the lexeme bothering in the context. It is obvious that the reporter has betrayed a failure to differentiate usefully between the lexemes border and bother, a failure emanating from a glaring pronunciation weakness.
This is not the first time we have complained about our public writers’ inability to effectively differentiate between the sound represented in writing as –th and that represented as –d. It is this failure that lies at the heart of their failure to differentiate between border and bother. What is the difference between these words?
The word bother, let us note, has to do with emotional trouble, distress of the soul, anxiety about a person or thing. Please read the following sentences: 1) Many parents are bothered when their children do not seem to be making satisfactory progress in their academic work. 2) The miserable state of power supply in Nigeria should bother any responsible government. 3) I have deliberately refrained from bothering you with my financial challenges. 4) The health condition of the boy has been a source of perpetual bother to the father. 5) The constant clashes between farmers and the Fulani herdsmen are a bother to the state governments concerned.
When we say something borders on another thing, we mean the former is almost the same as the latter, is not completely different from the latter, is as good or as bad as the latter. Let’s read the following sentences: 1) The patient suffers from a delirium that borders on insanity. 2) They live in a financial condition that borders on absolute poverty. 3) After four years in the university, many students still demonstrate a level of competence in the use of English that borders on illiteracy. 4) The conflicts and disagreements between the two countries have degenerated to a level that borders on a state of war. 5) The dubious calculations border on fraud. 6) The frozen relationship between the couple borders on separation or even divorce.
The word border can also be used as a noun: 1)A huge tree marks the border between the two towns. 2) The woman with the issue of blood touched the border of the garment of Jesus. 3) The American president-elect has said he will erect a massive fence on the border between America and Mexico. 4) There is a dispute over the border between the two communities. 5) It is the duty of the Immigration and Police Officers to patrol the borders. 6) Illicit trade usually takes place in border towns. 7) The President has complained that our borders are porous. 8) Illegal immigrants cross the border freely.
At any rate, the word bordering should replace bothering in the context under review.
Sample 3: “The source said the national leadership directed the state executive to collate names, addresses, and the ward members alleged of anti-party activities…” (APC begins probe of Aregbesola, Amosun, Onoche, others, Opera News, 3 April, 2023)
We pay attention to the expression “alleged…of” which occurs in the following context: “ward membersalleged ofanti-party activities…”The particle of, attached to the verb alleged, properly collocates with the verb accuse: accuse of. The expression “alleged…of” is clearly unidiomatic. In addition, it is important to note that the syntactic structure in which the verb allege occurs is different from that in which accuse occurs, even though they have similar meanings.
Equally important is the fact that the particle for does not go with the verb accuse. The appropriate particle is: of.
Please read the following sentences: 1) The man and his wife accused each other of infidelity. 2) The APC and the PDP accused each other of manipulating the electoral process in certain parts of the country. 3) Nobody in good conscience could accuse General Muhammadu Buhari of stealing public funds. 4) When a party fails to win an election, it tends to accuse INEC of colluding with the other party to commit electoral fraud. 5) The governor accused his deputy of scheming to unseat him. 6) Voters accused soldiers of intimidating them on the day of the election.
Now the verb allege: The following sentences, produced by some Nigerians, are defective: 1a)* We quarrel often because he keeps alleging me of things I know nothing about. Better: 1b) We quarrel often because he keeps accusing me ofthings I know nothing about. 2a) *The parties are alleging each other of manipulating the electoral process. Better: 2b) The parties are accusingeach other of manipulating the electoral process. 3a) *The man alleged his lawyer of colluding with his opponent. Better: 3b) The man accused his lawyer of colluding with his opponent. 4a) *The old woman alleged the lady running the mill of stealing some of her pepper and grains. Better: 4b) The old woman accused the lady running the mill of stealing some of her pepper and grains. 5a) *The man alleged his wife of cheating on him. Better: 5b) The man accused his wife of cheating on him. 6a) *The union alleged the company of failing to fulfil its promise. Better: 6b) The union accused the company of failing to fulfil its promise.
Readers may be interested in knowing that there is a proper way of using the word allege. Please read the following sentences: 1) Members of the president’s cabinet were alleged to have sabotaged his efforts to improve electricity supply. 2) The reports of the outcome of the election were alleged to have been written before the election took place. 3) Members of the ruling party alleged that INEC was partial in favour of a particular party. 4) The suspect alleged that the deceased was sleeping with his (the suspect’s) wife. 5) The lawyer alleged that the judge had been compromised. 6) It wasallegedthat a particular landlord had links with the armed robbers terrorizing the neighbourhood. 7) It wasalleged that the coach was taking bribes before admitting the players into the camp. 8) Soldiers were alleged to have killed several peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate. 9) It was alleged that the leadership did not act promptly enough. 10) It is alleged that workers’ contributory retirement funds are being embezzled by government officials.
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