Rayfield Associates

SUBJECT: English Language

TOPIC: Miscellaneous Errors in English

Dear highly esteemed Colleagues, presumably, I believe that your English speaking proficiency is on the increase daily. Remember, your accent is your access; and your expression is your impression. Thus we must strive to gain mastery in those areas.

Today, I want to correct fifteen(15) expressions that many a people have accepted without a blink of thought if really they are correct:

1. She has put to bed.❌
She has put to birth.✔️
She has given birth.✔️

Many people use the above expression to mean that one gave birth, but PUT TO BED means, to help someone, for example a child, go to bed.

2. The job is TASKING.❌
The job is TAXING.✔️

When something is difficult or burdensome, it is taxing, not tasking.

3. He has WHIKLOW on his hand.❌
He has WHITLOW on his hand.✔️

4. He is a graduate OF Accounting.❌
He is a graduate IN Accounting.✔️
(Graduate IN..., not OF...)

5. He is a doctorate degree holder.❌
He is a doctoral degree holder.✔️
He is a doctorate holder.✔️

('Doctorate' is a noun; 'Doctoral' is an adjective)

6. One faithful day...❌
One fateful day...✔️

7. Pray without season.❌
Pray without ceasing.✔️
(Biblical)

8. In as much as...❌
Inasmuch as...✔️

9. Birds of the same feather.❌
Birds of a feather.✔️

10. Truth be told...❌
If truth be told...✔️

11. Any time/moment from now...❌
Any time/moment now...✔️

12. He is a masquerade.❌
He is a masquerader.✔️

A masquerade is not a person; a masquerade is an event where masqueraders hold a display.

13. He is student OF Unilag.❌
He is a student AT Unilag.✔️

(Student AT + institution)

14. Let's share the grace:❌
Let's say grace:✔️

15. It picked my interest.❌
It piqued my interest.✔️

Did you learn something today?

Your English enthusiast, BAIK.

LEGAL DOCUMENT - IMPORTANCE OF A LEGAL PRACTITIONERS SEAL AND STAMP ON A LEGAL DOCUMENT

"The question whether the person whose seal is affixed on a legal document or process as a legal practitioner should be the same person who signs to authenticate that document is now settled. The apex court in Yaki V. Bagudu (2015) All FWLR (Pt. 810) 1026, has held per Ariwoda, JSC at page 1080-1081 that:-

"I am of the opinion that ordinarily, any responsible member of the noble profession of lawyers will not sign or present any legal document which does not have his seal and stamp on it. This is to show authentication and responsibility. Therefore, where a document is filed without the seal and stamp of the lawyer who prepared same, such document will be deemed not to have been properly signed and filed and shall remain voidable until the necessary steps are taken to regularize same. Otherwise, if not regularized, the court may not countenance an improperly filed document.

- PER S.T. HUSAINI, J.C.A in GAMME INTERGRATED RESOURCES SERVICES LTD V FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA & ANOR

Appeal no: CA/YL/78C/2016

A MEMBER OF A POLITICAL PARTY OR ANY PERSON FOR THAT MATTER CAN CHALLENGE THE NOMINATION OF A CANDIDATE IF HE OR SHE GIVES FALSE INFORMATION TO INEC, SO SAYS THE SUPREME COURT

MR. OZEGBE LAWRENCE v. PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP) & ORS. MR. OZEGBE LAWRENCE v. PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP) & ORS-Appeal No: SC.81/2017

FACTS

The Claimant/Appellant sued Hon. Friday Osanebi and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as 2nd and 1st Respondents respectively before the Delta State High Court, Asaba seeking for declaratory and injunctive reliefs among which are a declaration that the affidavit and documents submitted to the 3rd Defendant by the 1st Defendant in his nomination as the candidate of the 2nd Defendant for election into the Ndokwa East Constituency for the 2015 general elections into the Delta State House of Assembly contained several falsehood and that the 1st Defendant is therefore not qualified to contest the said election, an order of the Court disqualifying the 1st Defendant from contesting the 2015 general election into the State House of Assembly as a candidate of the 2nd Defendant for the Ndokwa East State Constituency or for any other constituency and an order of perpetual injunction restraining the 3rd Defendant from accepting the 1st Defendant for Ndokwa East State Constituency for the 2015 general election into the Delta State Constituency or for any other constituency.

The 1st and 2nd Respondents filed preliminary objections to the Claimant’s suit and the trial court after hearing the separate applications struck out the suit on grounds that the Claimant has no locus standi to institute the suit. Aggrieved by the ruling, the Claimant filed an appeal while the 1st Defendant (now 2nd Respondent) filed a cross appeal at the Court of Appeal.

The Court of Appeal upheld the order striking out the suit on grounds that the matter falls within the purview of the domestic affairs of the political parties for which the Court has no jurisdiction and consequently dismissed the appeal. A further appeal was made to the Supreme Court.

The court examined the word " person" in Section 31(5) of the Electoral Act and stated that it is clear and unambiguous and does not admit of two meanings. It does not restrict the action to be taken only to members of other Political parties. Furthermore the application to be made to the Electoral Commission in Section 31(4) of the same Act for the copy of the nomination form, affidavit and any other document submitted by a candidate is opened to everybody. It follows that the decision to go to Court to prove that a candidate who has been nominated to contest in the general election can be undertaken by anybody and not just the members of an opposing political party. And it is only the Court that can issue an order disqualifying the candidate from contesting the election.

The Supreme Court went further to draw a distinction between the principle of law applicable to a party seeking to question the membership of a political party and that challenging the falsehood of a candidate's document submitted to the Electoral Body and went ahead to rule that a person challenging the falsehood of a candidate's documents must prove same beyond reasonable doubt, the same standard of proof required in criminal cases.

For example, if my Mechanic, Ogie Kio, decides to contest elections under Cow Men Progressive Party (CMPP) in 2019 and swears to an affidavit that he is 40 years, this judgment gives me the locus standi to challenge his nomination without being a member of his party.

Therefore, in 2019, in order to ensure only the best rule us, demand for all documents presented by candidates and confirm there falsehoods contained therein.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of being invited to watch an executive preview and launch of a T. V mini-series on Irregular Migration called The Missing Steps. Conceptualized by the current Comptroller General of Immigration, Mohammed Babandede, some years ago, it highlights everything you need to know about irregular migration.
Produced and directed by the veteran Charles Okafor, it was made possible by the Swiss Embassy in Nigeria, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Nigerian Immigration Service. It was shot in Nigeria, Niger, Libya and Switzerland.

The series starts on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) station this Saturday by 6pm and will run for about 13 weeks. I see the series winning awards both locally and globally. It captures some of the stories of West African immigrants, the perils, the loss of self esteem and the disappointments.

In their brief remarks, the Producer, Charles Okafor, the Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, H. E. Mr. Eric Mayoraz, the Chief of Mission, IOM-the UN Agency for Migration, Ms. Enira Krdzalic, the CGI, Mohammed Babandede, the Senior Special Adviser to the President, Mrs. Abike Dabiri, the Migration Adviser at the Swiss Embassy, Mrs. Jolanda Pfister Herren and several other speakers, all agreed that we cannot sit back and watch dreams shattered and lives lost. It was a solemn and at the same time entertaining event.

I intend to keep a date with The Missing Steps every Saturday, 6pm on NTA Network. You should too.

I was really impressed by the CGI, Babandede. He has succeeded in one night to change my view of the Nigerian Immigration Service as a place for CERPAC and International Passports only. He started writing the story when he was a Director at NAPTIP and 8 years down, it has come out as one of the best films capturing the Agadez-Libya- Mediterranean-Italy irregular migration routes. The actors and actresses gave good account of themselves and it was nice seeing Norbert Young in the film.

Migration issues form part of our Law Firm practice and I was happy to see some of the things I have come across captured in a movie.
The bottom line is that to address this issue, we must begin with good governance.