Patrick Obahiagbon, erstwhile Chief of Staff to former
governor Adams Oshiomhole, has said that he developed his repertoire of ‘high-sounding’
words through extensive reading.
According to him, his turgid expressions are not
intentionally made to mesmerize and mystify his audiences but they flow
naturally from the pool of words and phrases he has accumulated through a
regular use of the dictionary.
Obahiagbon added that he would encourage his children, who
are already used to his esoteric words, to cultivate the gift of the gab.
He told Punch newspaper: “I have said it for the umpteenth
time that I have never advertently set out to mystify my audience with what you
have referred to as esoteric words and I neither studied Latin.
“The truth is that extensive reading is my hobbyhorse and
these words and phrases become part of my vocabulary repertoire to use your
words. Of course, I have equally posited elsewhere that the dictionary for me
is a vade mecum.
“It bears reiteration that my family is already used to my
idiolect and I am encouraging my kids along that path but of course you know
these things cannot be decreed.
“I have endeavoured to encourage my children to try and
cultivate the gift of the gab especially my young daughter who is exuding all
the qualities of a scholar in her formative years and my pleasure will be
boundless if one of them can be so motivated.”
By Chijioke Jannah
