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Sample 1: ‘Apparently referring to recent newspaper publication that he was being haunted by the EFCC over an alleged involvement in over N8 billion scam and that he was one of the outgoing governors… He boasted that in the last four years, his government had undergone various developmental projects aimed at improving the living standard of the people of the state in line with the 13-point agenda of his administration’ (I’ll Go Mad If I See N8 billion – Akala, The Daily Sun, May 19, 2011).

I draw readers’ attention to the word haunted which occurs in the clause, ‘he was being haunted by the EFCC’. Clearly, the word haunted is used in confusion with hunt, two superficially similar but hardly semantically related words. To hunt a person or animal is to pursue it with the aim of hurting or killing the person or animal. Illustrations: (1) Armed with guns and cutlasses, the team went hunting antelopes. (2) The cow went wild and two Fulani men were paid to hunt it down. (3) Many people have claimed that the EFCC was created to hunt down the former president’s political enemies. (4) The kid was busy in the garden hunting butterflies. (5) It should have been clear to everybody that the US would hunt down its most wanted enemy. (6) The scientist did not rest until he had hunted out the specie of his dream.

On the other hand, the verb haunt basically has to do with a ghost appearing in or troubling a place. There is also the metaphorical extension of the word: (1) Haunted by her past, Janet would often become moody so that her husband would wonder whether he had hurt her in any way. (2) Successive occupiers of the building have one story or the other to tell about it being haunted by the ghost of the late landlord. (3) The conscience has been described as a ‘policeman’ that hunts and haunts every man who has done something evil which is not known to his neighbour. (4) That dreadful experience haunted me for years until I sought spiritual deliverance. (5) The Doctor was haunted by a major error he had committed in the course of the surgical operation.

From those illustrative sentences, it should be clear that the word required in the context is not haunted but hunted: ‘he was hunted by the EFCC’

Next, we consider the word undergone which occurs in the context, ‘his government had undergone various development projects’. The form undergone is the past participle of the verb undergo, a word that is definitely not appropriate in the context. If a person or thing undergoes an experience, he has that experience. Can we say with intelligence, as the reporter has said, that ‘his government had undergone various developmental projects’? If we said this, we would suggest quite inanely that the government itself had had an experience called ‘developmental projects’.

The only way we can help the writer to make sense is to replace the word undergone with undertaken. Yes, when you undertake (yes, undertaken is the past participle of undertake) a task or project, you engage in it. To have a real grasp of the usage of each of the words (undertake and undergo), we illustrate their respective usage. First, undergo: (1) Our country has undergone remarkable changes in the last ten years of democratic experience. (2) All the patients are required to undergo specific tests before they can see the Doctor. (3) Having undergone surgical operations twice, the woman is not expected to have her next baby without surgery. (4) Workers who have not undergone further training since they joined the company are not entitled to promotion beyond the last step of their present positions. (5) Anyone who has undergone spiritual transformation would know what it means to have a special experience of God. (6) All the operations of the company have undergone different degrees of change since the beginning of this year.

Now undertake: (1) (1) Five new projects are being undertaken by the new administration. (2) The contractor said he was not ready to undertake any job for which no advance payment was made. (3) Before undertaking the mission, the terrorist gang, we are told, had trained for years somewhere in the US. (4) The Governor said he was not willing to undertake new projects because of shortage of funds. (5) Let’s not undertake that job if we are not sure of completing it. (6) Having undertaken the production of three plays, the director seems reluctant to undertake the production of a fourth one.

At any rate, the clause should read, ‘his government had undertaken various developmental projects’.

SAMPLE II

‘It was gathered that the number of corps members in the worship centre increased to 50 when some of their colleagues living elsewhere rushed to the NCCF secretariat to seek refuge from the crisis that erupted in some parts of the town, unknown to them that they were potential victims of the dastard act of the irate youths. The Family House of the NCCF, a fellowship centre and a lodge for the Christian corps members, was one of the seven worship centres touched by the youth…’ (Presidential Poll: 5 Corps Members Escape Death, The Daily Sun, April 20, 2011).

First, we examine the status of the word dastard which occurs in the context, ‘victims of the dastard act’. Let us point out immediately that the word dastard is not an English word. Or rather, it is a truncated English word. The word whose identity we are sure of is dastardly. We may be able to guess what has happened to this word and the process that led to it.

Having encountered the word dastardly, and having no engagement with it beyond sighting it in a ‘light’ reading material, the reporter must have mistaken it for an adverb – what with its final -ly. It is true that most English adverbs end in -ly, but it is not all words that have a final ly that are adverbs. To be sure, the word dastardly is not an adverb but an adjective, notwithstanding its obvious -ly ending.

What we guess the reporter has done is to clip the final -ly of the word as a way of reducing it to its adjectival form – dastard, a non-existent word in English. It should not be difficult to imagine that the reporter would have used the form dastardly as an adverb if the opportunity had offered itself in the course of writing his report.

A similar error is committed by some people when they employ the word orderly, mistaking its final -ly for evidence of adverb. Since this has received adequate attention last week, we would not discuss it further. As we have pointed out, the word dastardly is an adjective and its usage is illustrated as follows: (1) The man raped a six-year-old girl, and the NGO has sworn that he will pay for the dastardly act. (2) Those who were involved in the dastardly act of burning the houses of their political enemies will not go unpunished. (3) The dastardly murder was committed when the victim had no reason to suspect that any evil was planned against him. (4) Nothing can excuse that dastardly revenge, not even the fact that the woman has hurt him so much. (5) The law does not seem to make sufficient provision for such dastardly misdeeds.

At any rate, the word dastardly should replace dastard in the context under examination: ‘victims of the dastardly act’.

Finally, I urge readers to note the word touched which occurs in the context, ‘one of the seven worship centres touched by the youth’. Readers are to note that this word is used in the context of arson. Is the word touched the appropriate one in the context? Certainly not.

It is obvious that this word – touch – is used in confusion with torch. When houses, cars, etc are burnt deliberately, we say they are torched. The word touch is about physical contact, torch is about burning.

At any rate, the word torched should replace touched in the context under examination.

The Oyo State Ministry of Health and the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, in collaboration with the Society for Family Health (SFH), have intensified efforts to promote self-care as a critical strategy for improving individual and family health, reducing the burden of preventable diseases, and achieving universal health coverage (UHC).

The 2026 Self-Care Month commemoration began with a radio phone-in programme to let listeners know that self-care isn’t a luxury anymore but an all-round approach to daily survival.

Speaking during the medical outreach session, the Reproductive Health Coordinator of the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Mrs Folasade Olatunde, who represented both the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board and the Oyo State Ministry of Health, described self-care as a comprehensive approach to maintaining physical, mental and social well-being.

‘Self-care is about how an individual takes care of himself or herself. It starts with personal hygiene, a clean environment, healthy food preparation, adequate nutrition, regular exercise, and ensuring good mental, physical and social well-being. It is a holistic approach to health,’ she said.

Olatunde encouraged people living with chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes to regularly monitor their blood pressure and blood glucose levels where possible, noting that early detection enables prompt medical intervention and better health outcomes.

On mental health, Olatunde called for an end to the stigma associated with mental illness, stressing that mental health deserves the same attention as physical health.

She also urged women, in particular, to prioritise self-care despite their multiple responsibilities, warning that prolonged stress and inadequate rest could lead to serious health complications.

Also speaking, the Oyo State Family Planning Coordinator, Mrs. Anifat Romoke Adedeji, urged residents to take greater responsibility for their health through regular self-care practices, noting that self-care empowers individuals to identify health challenges early and seek timely medical attention.

Adedeji underscored the importance of self-care in family planning, explaining that women can safely use certain contraceptive methods independently after receiving proper guidance from trained healthcare providers. According to her, daily oral contraceptive pills and self-injectable contraceptives enable women to effectively space pregnancies and plan their families without unnecessary visits to health facilities.

She stressed that family planning does not prevent couples from having children but rather helps them decide when to have them and the number they can adequately cater for, thereby promoting healthier families and reducing economic pressures.

The Adolescent Desk Officer of the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Mr Adeniyi Ademola, said self-care is equally important for adolescents, describing it as encompassing physical, emotional, social and mental well-being.

He encouraged young people to seek accurate information about their health, particularly sexual and reproductive health, instead of relying on misinformation from peers.

According to Ademola, simple practices such as getting adequate sleep, drinking enough water, recognising inappropriate behaviour and seeking help when necessary can significantly improve adolescents’ health outcomes.

He stressed that informed young people are better equipped to protect themselves, make healthy decisions and access appropriate care when needed.

The State Programme Officer for the Society for Family Health DISC 2.0 Project in Oyo State, Mrs Oluwabunmi Olajide, said the 2026 Self-Care Month celebration was designed to encourage individuals to take ownership of their health by knowing their health status, adopting preventive healthcare practices and making informed decisions about their well-being.

Olajide explained that the outreach focused on reintroducing the concept of self-care through self-care walks/exercise, community health education and free health services, including blood pressure checks, weight and height measurements, body mass index (BMI) assessments, malaria RDT screening, random blood sugar tests, HIV screening and family planning services.

She said the initiative places individuals at the centre of their healthcare, empowering them to take proactive steps to stay healthy rather than waiting until they become ill.

She added that the SFH programmes also cater to women of reproductive age, adolescents, and men by providing access to youth-friendly reproductive health information, family planning counselling and methods, and community and male engagement sessions, stressing that equipping individuals with accurate health information is essential to building healthier families and communities across Oyo State.

The medical outreach recorded an average attendance of close to 200 women and over 100 men, highlighting a rising intentionality among men regarding their health. Sustaining this momentum through occasional self-care campaigns will further encourage this positive shift, promoting proactive mental and physical healthcare habits.