Not until about two weeks ago, the name Patrick Obahiagbon didn’t ring a bell. Now it does: Patrick Obahiagbon, the Nigerian Parliamentarian who speaks big grammar.
Party: People’s Democratic Party ( PDP )
State: Edo
Constituency: Oredo
Date Elected: 2007
Seat Up In: 2011
Date of Birth: 12/04/60
Marital Status: Married
Education:LL.B; M.P.A; M.I.H.D
Occupation: Legal Practitioner
Previous Elected Office:Edo State House of Assembly
source: click here
I listened to the video below yesterday and oh yes, I was assumed. I’m curious, is this guy a really serious person, or is he a comedian in political uniform? What is the essence of using big words when your audience doesn’t understand 99% of whatever you are saying?
Turn up your speakers. Check out the video below:
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Bosede: Welcome to NTA live from the national assembly… honorable Patrick Obahiagon …also known as igodo migodo. You are welcome, sir.
O: The pleasure is mine, Bosede
B: so, how are u today?
0: Very good. In a proper order. Very ready. Always ready for parliamentary work.
B: I know you were at the Edo state house of assembly. So how has your experience in the state assembly prepared you for the challenges of the national assembly?
O: Fantastic. Don’t forget I did 8 years at the Edo state house of assembly and by the grace of the don apticate of the universe, that opportunity has assisted me colossally in dotting the parliamentary “I s” and crossing the legislative “T s” and has put me in good speed for the due discharge of my parliamentary onnus probandi ……, because when you examine the relationship between parliament at the state level and parliament at the national assembly, the difference, if any, is one of a twoodledum and twidlydim, little or no difference.
The only difference of course being that, whereas in the state house of assembly you only impact on a micro pedestal plane, at the national assembly, you are talking at a macro level. So if you ask me, there is a dialogical rapport between parliament at the state level and parliament at the national level. It is one of a micro cossum in a macro cossum.
So in a nutshell, I want to say that my experience in serving as a legislator for 8 years, and my experience when I was leader of the Edo state house of assembly for 4 years, put me certainly in good speed for this assignment at the national level.
B: Is that why you have been a vibrant member of this national assembly as it were?
O: Partly yes. Partly yes. It is terra ferma for me and not terra incognita. It is familiar to me and once you were ceased of the muances of parliamentary discourse and discobolus it follows therefore that it will be familiar to you too, partly…but again, partly it is equally responsible…, for the fact that you cannot succeed as a parliamentarian if you are not cosmopolitan. You must be prepared to immerse yourself in societal dialectics for you to be able to contribute efficaciously in a utilitarian modus.
So, if you are a parliamentarian and you don’t go through the ritual of even reading newspapers, you don’t bathe yourself in the aqua of the political cross currents, then you are going to be deuced, you are going to be paralytic in your contributions. So yes, my experience in the state of assembly has been responsible for my vibrancy in one breathe. At another breathe, my desire to perpetually entrench myself in political, social and intellectual currents have equally contributed in its own stead.
B: So in essence, what challenge are you giving to your other colleagues?
O: Sactas Simplicitas. They must avoid regular big stouting , suyaing , big stouting and peppersouping. Those are not the real issues. They must be prepared to immerse themselves in societal dialectics. They must put their nose to the grind stone. Chief Obafemi Awolowo the ikene philosopher said the difference between me and my other colleagues, was that when my other colleagues are cavorting in the dark alleys, I am in my library working myself 19 to the dozen.
You cannot succeed in life if you are not disciplined. You must be puritanical in your
predisposition, you must engage in an exercise of self purification and mortification, you must engage in an exercise of self abnegation, you must engage in an exercise of spiritual emulation. You must discipline the flesh. You must conquer the flesh. You must allow the spiritual aspect of you preponderate the material aspect, especially when you have been chosen to represent the people. So that at the end of the day, you can really say: vendi, vidi, vicki
B: what is the meaning of that?
O: I came, I saw, I conquered.
B: Sir,just like I told you that you are vibrant contributor to debates on the floor of the house at times does it really bother you whether the people get to understand what you say because of those big big grammar.
O: Well, let me say that I have been maniatally bewildered, in the words of Peter Pan, “overghasted and flabberwhelmed” when I am confronted by people as to what they stigmatize as my verbabodical dimosophy gyrations .But let me use this opportunity to say that I have never set out…, I don’t deliberately set out to confuse my audience. Certain you want me to be dumb, when I talk, they just come, misuse less packadoo . I bet you don’t give what you don’t have, what I have, I give.
B: So what is your parting word to Nigerians?
O: My parting word to Nigerians is to be patient with the president of the country President, Umaru Musa Y’aradua. I appreciate that a lot of people at this time are becoming very critical in assessing the president because they believe that 8 months is enough to chart a visionary trajectory. I share those sentiments, but at the same time, let us not forget that the country was in a state of economical quagmaya, political fantasmagorie and social stupor at the time the president came on board. So I appeal to Nigerians to be a little bit patient with him.
But at the same time, I want to appeal to Mr. President to see the victory in the cause as a wake up challenge, for him to leave the position of recupensy into one of recusansy. 8 months, people should be able to say “this is the direction of Mr. President”. 8 months, people should be able to say “Mr. President’s stance for this”. There is a difference between amiability; there is a difference between decency and activism. The president must leave his position of political, and social and administrative lethargy and take the driver’s seat.
As Mr. President, he drives, and others follow. So whereas I appeal to Nigerians to be patient with him, I equally call on Mr. President to ascend the challenges of governance, and he cannot do that except he take the driver’s seat as the political do edger, the political emir of trans Jordan, and the political major dobo, the buck……
the above is culled from: click here
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After reading the above yesterday, I laughed and laughed until tears almost came out of my eyes. Where on earth did “overghasted and flabberwhelmed” come from. The words I know are overwhelmed and flabberghasted and not the other way around.
And where did big stouting , suyaing , big stouting and peppersouping emerge from. These big ones sound like the grammar of drunk people, after they arrive at cloud-9. This Edo state Honorable definitely takes alcohol, else, when did suya + ing = suyaing become an English word? For God’s sake, even the handful of educated Mallams even haven’t arrived where Hon. Patrick is. What would be the past-tense of suyaing? suya’d?
I bet this Honorable could also explain the following: smallstouting, egunsisouping, ewedusouping, ekikaikongsouping, amalaing, poundedyaming, purewatering, ricing and beansing. I also bet plaintaining would have a place in the political grammatical circle.
Does this Honorable Patrick speak big grammar on purpose? doesn’t he know the elements that make up a good sentence? does adding up synonyms and antonyms in a direct sequence make up good communication – as far as this lawyer is concerned. Is there anywhere within the Nigerian Law profession that mandates lawyer to speak with words comprehensible to the rest of us? I would like to know if he writes big grammar as he speaks.
I was a student Union activist all my years in the University of Benin. Little wonder, as soon as I left the University and finished my Youth Service, I dabbled into the aqua of political arena. If I remember vividly, I contested my first election into Oredu Local Government Area (LGA) as a Councillor only one year after my Youth Service.
I am assuming that as an activist in school he was always winning debates since his co-activists could not understand what he ways saying, or?
He says: “I do not set out to deposit my audience in a portmanteau of indecipherability” after being asked why he speaks big grammar.
If you have the opportunity to listen to my speeches or debates ten, fifteen years ago, then it would have been a different kettle of fish all together. So, I am convinced that I’ve tried, I am trying and I will continue to try to ensure that my language, or my idiolect is as limpid and as diaphanous as possible.
But, let me say that I am an omnivorous reader and I put my nose on the grinding stone to read for more than 7 hours a day when most innocent men are sleeping, and night marauders are doing their business. I am on my table, in my Library for 7 hours. And that has been on for over twenty years. And like I always tell people, the dictionary for me is not a reference point; the dictionary is a vade mecum, a constant companion.
I spend on the average not less than an hour a day referencing the dictionary for the past twenty to twenty-five years. So don’t be maniacally bewildered if I speak most times, from what I draw while reading. But, really, the intention is not to deliberately befuddle or obfuscate my presentations on the floor.
So our guy reads the dictionary and concludes that he understands English? As much as its good to always have a comedian around the house of representatives, I hope his comedy won’t overshadow real issues on ground in the long run, as his colleagues would rather prepare for a laugh than prepare to reason out issues.
This is another one. Check out the seriousness of this guy and the unseriousness of his audience. Is there no line between making a sensible speech and complete jargon?
Lastly, Honorable Patrick Obahiagbon would make a good Pastor, I suppose. All his audience has to say is AMEN!
On the light side, Honorable Patrick recently talked to President Yar Adua while he was in a Saudi Arabia hospital.
]This is what they talked about:
Thompson
March 10, 2010
Thank God for all his academic accomplishments; at least some educated people are into politics in Nigeria. Be that as it may, I think the Honourable must learn to measure the level of grammar he speaks based of whom he speaks to. You cannot speak at the same level with everyone you come across; if you do that, you make a mockery of the whole exercise.
Akintunde
March 10, 2010
I find it ironic that you mock Patrick Obahiagbon’s understanding of English when your write up does not measure up to standard.
Thompson
March 10, 2010
Mr. Akintunde,
Tell me how I mocked the Honourable? First, I congratulated him for all his academic accomplishments; second, I praised him for going into politics. All I said was that he should learn to measure his grammar based on those he talks to. Is it your contention that he should continue to speak to everyone even school children and illiterates the way he would speak to a university don? I should think that you either cannot follow logical reasoning, or you cannot think critically.
Baebi
March 11, 2010
This reminds me of a Nigerian movie I watched last year. I can’t remember the name but one of the main characters was a lecturer in the UK who was made redundant and upon his return to Nigeria was confusing the hell out of everyone by saying things like
“I would gladly acquiesce to such a favourable petition” instead of just saying “yes”
He also ate everything and refused to pay the rent…
Baebi
March 11, 2010
yay my gravatar is back (I thought I’d have to use every single email address I’ve had in my life!!)
Thompson
March 11, 2010
Baebi,
Thank you for your ability to reason. I don’t have problem with people speaking big grammars, all I am saying is that it should be measured based on your audience.
Let’s come to think of it; what is the essence of communication? It is to get across our view to whomever we are communicating with. So, of what importance is big grammar spoken to someone who doesn’t understand it? It is a waste of time.
I am sure people like you can attest to the fact that big grammars are not even spoken in the Western world. How many times have you had to look into your dictionary after listening to someone speak on CNN or BBC?
Oghenero Ayavoro
April 30, 2010
I am so short of words to be able to critically ameliorate these flamboyant expressions which has a great sense of gospellical amunism. If so factual, if so furiel, we consider his his sayings to be undictionary, then let us read more and get acquainted with some of his unalterable idiomatic expressions in the political Natividad. I enjoy every bit of his intellectual display in the house of reps. Keep on the good, gigantic, globally accepted and grandiose utilization of English figures… Truly, someday, the whites will sit on our lintel, begging to learn English. its an assurance…
daylay
May 10, 2010
Once been asked, he said he doesnt speak to confuse his audience, why now trying proving him wrong that he speak to confuse his audience or to portray as a clown.
This is bad,and personally i tell people to take this as a challenge to stay closer to their dictionary and learn english (though rather than ‘big grammer’).
it might as well assist secondary school students in their vocalbulary.
Nissi
May 20, 2010
Oghenero Ayavoro, Communication is not using big grammar…our man is representing a country where 60% are illiterate…he should speak to his people in a language they understand
judy
May 22, 2010
Ijust tink Hon.Pat is usin anor political strategy to win popularity n gain votes.his big gramma is a psychological game to gain favor of d people so they tink he realli knos wat he is doin.
Miklo
July 27, 2010
Politics is about representing ordinary people. How many ordinary people understand what this man says? How can you claim to represent people who do not even understand what you are saying? Frankly, he seems more like a comedian to me than a serious person, not to talk of a politician. The really sad part is that the fact that he talks like a lunatic is the reason why some people believe he is a serious person, because we Nigerians tend to think that if you don’t understand the “grammar” someone is speaking, then the perosn obviously knows what he is talking about. If he was at an international conference and used all this unnecessary words, he would be rightly laughed at.
stanley
September 30, 2010
Someone may just think that this hon.sets his mouth in motion beforhis brains are in gear,but i think he has the proensity to think before speaking and therefore all these destructive esriations which are directed towards him shoold be abrogated.He is a m an who can never be egostastically exterminated
Mcmillan
October 18, 2010
There are two sides to a coin, the honorable’s high flown language no doubt challenge a few of us to want to have a penchant for words which is a good thing. Never the less his manner of speech may rightly be described as redundant, circumlocutory and unnecessarily grandiloquent. And i light of the foregoing with due respect to the distinguished parliamentarian I dare to say here and now that IGODOMIGODO is more or less incommunicado. The question then is what shall it profit a man if he voraciously consumes the semantics in its entirety and fails to communicate? It is regrettably lugubrious I must admit.
Mcmillan
October 18, 2010
The above is my humble locomati and the locomati I made is without loca partial_OBAHIAGBON
bako
October 21, 2010
I respect Hon. Patrick for all he does,because there are so many members in the national assembly that you can’t hear in the radio or watch them on the screen to weigh their performance talkless to see on ground at their constituency.Is better to talk than to be quite making the place a graveyard. I remain respectful. Hon. Patrick keep on moving.
Davidson
November 15, 2010
Nobody is against honourable patrick’s speech,he should try and bring himself down to his electorate.not by speaking big grammars to confuse us.not every graduatethat will understand him let alone an illitrate(s).
Oyathelemi
November 19, 2010
He certainly adds colour to the house.
I believe when Patrick goes to his local government area, he not only speaks pigeo english, he speaks the local language. This is an interview and he is merely enjoying a great performance. If you listen to the message rather than dwell on the nature of the delivery, you would hear him telling a president to take responsibility, telling his colleagues to spend more time working and less time “in dark alleys”, telling a nation to be patient, etc…. It was a wonderful performance and he should be allowed.
Lanre Olokun
November 25, 2010
I’m sure everybody knows the necessity for an adequate & effecient communication in every good relationship…how then does the honorable Patrick hope to establish effective communication when those he’s communicating with are left to do no other thing than to laugh…or betterstill, left astonished at his big use of words. I think ego & crave for recognition are part players in this.
Lamide
November 27, 2010
I am tired of people who keep complaining about how we cannot understand what he is saying!! Is there a single speech that the core message has never been communicated?? That you don’t know what he is saying doesn’t mean he doesn’t have the right to use those words.. after all, it’s still the official Language of the country!!
And finally let us not forget that three quarters of his speeches are not directed to us but to the reps!! How many Nigerians even know who their rep is??
Victor Nwobike
December 19, 2010
U must knw d corgnitive pre-disposition of a man b4 u can effectively and comprehensively grasp his passive and active irritability, b it in d form of an exo-expressing locomati or in an endo-maniac cum cardiac manifestations…d iconic and personally reverred parliamentarian is a radical element who does not believe in conservatism(maintaining d status quo)…little wonder wonder his cosmopolitan crave would not allow him to b restricted by d retrogressive cum static forces of machavallian anti- progressive ideologies. Therefore it will b consistent with conservatism and machavallianism to assume dat Nigeria is, and should remain stigmatized with illiteracy. Every radical and progressive element will take possitions dat will assume, crest and propel Nigeria as a cosmopolitan literate country…..d greatest challenge facing dis nation in its quest to eldorado is d monopolistic proliferations of men of machavallian and conservative orientations (who only in d continuity of d status quo) in d aporgee of power, with only a handful of few cosmopolitan and radical elements struggling to see d corridor of power. This lugguburious situation calls 4 a massive revolution against d sit-tight conservatives in all spheres of lifes and their dethronement and subsequent replacement by a true cosmopolitan cum radical dynasty!
ismaheel bakare
January 19, 2011
whatever the critics say, i love his idiolect
steve
February 6, 2011
Some nigerians never value what we have…Why are some people called geniuses?isn’t because they can’t be measured with other humans in a particular discipline or trade?I agree that the honorable is a great man and politics as it stands today in Nigeria cannot be done by one man nor can you spot out the perfect man for the job.On his merits he is good and can coin out his own words whether they be compound words or not,think of it is English language the reference point for speaking?doesn’t English borrow words from other tongues(latin and so on)?please lets commend what is commendable and be proud to call it our own,then build on it, at least that’s what developed countries do.
steve
February 6, 2011
Some nigerians never value what we have…Why are some people called geniuses?isn’t it because they can’t be measured with other humans in a particular discipline or trade?I agree that the honorable is a great man and politics as it stands today in Nigeria cannot be done by one man nor can you spot out the perfect man for the job.On his merits he is good and can coin out his own words whether they be compound words or not,think of it is English language the reference point for speaking?doesn’t English borrow words from other tongues(latin and so on)?please lets commend what is commendable and be proud to call it our own,then build on it, at least that’s what developed countries do.
John Ekele
February 11, 2011
he is so cool…
Austin Edafe
February 15, 2011
I see patrick as a man who tries to enhabce communication by making his words more flambouyant , cosmopolitan and astertic to drive home the message beeing communicated. he brings live to every conversation he engages in by capturing attention and making people not just laugh, but also have a re8think that english language can also be expressed differently from the way the colonial masters thought us.
Kudos patrick, keep the grammar coming, as we enjoy and salviour every of your spoken igodomatics.
akano abdulrahmon
May 15, 2011
God, dis shud be a big challenge 2 odas in d house,dat d house nt only 2 share money only but 2 learn.if is not d problems we hving in nigeria nw,people lke hon pat should only be accept in d house.nw sme1 say hw would they undastnd?dey cnt nd dey will neva cos dey are all secondry schol cert holdas,big kudos 2 u sir,u’ve said earlier vendi vidi vicki.i cme, i saw nd i conquer.ur lfe is sactas simplicitas.frm nw on i will stop suyaing,peppersouping,i dnt use 2 tke bigstout but i will stop staring,cos i wnt 2 be lke u,2 are 2gbaski.
hizp
June 9, 2011
i don’t care what bad people say about him, he is a role model
Gazelle
July 23, 2011
well, all i av to say is that most of the grammar he is using is actual uncalled for. For God sake an average Nigerian can barely understand him and what exactly is communication? “Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender’s intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast distances in time and space. Communication requires that the communicating parties share an area of communicative commonality. The communication process is complete once the receiver has understood the sender”. that definition is from wikipedia. Even wikipedia uses d language that every one will understand. well, if the person you are speaking to doesnt understand you, then what is the essence. Moreover does grammar change anything? we also need to see his works. And if u truly sit down and listen to him, most of the gargons hardly make sense and hardly relate to the topic he is talkin about. He should learn a more understandable english.
Amoo Israel
August 22, 2011
I want to commend the efforts of the great Honourable Patrick Obihiagbon, for his contributions not only to the national political development but also to the intellectual development of many Nigerians.
His presence in the political arena since1999 is a plus to our democracy. Apart from being a good representative of his people, by executing laudable projects in his constituency;some people across the country watch the proceeding of the lower house because of the vibrancy,eloquency,creativity,resourceness and uniquness of this great man of virtues.
No matter what your critics say, like himself rightly put it; vendi, vidi,vicki.He has written his name in gold in the history of national assembly, no doudt about that.
My advice for the honourable is to keep it up and be more focus by contributing meaningfully to the ntional development.If possible let some of your best presentation be compiled in a bookand make available for sale.If you can be investing 7hrs a day at your level on intellectual development; then you need to develop those that we succeed you in future.Sir! Keep it up . AMOO ISRAEL
Segun Elusakin
October 3, 2011
Whatever!
Santos
November 4, 2011
For an audience to grasp your message, you must communicate effectively! Patrick is undoubtedly rich in vocabulary but that doesn’t mean he should include legal and latin terms in his grammar for people who may not understand. It would be better if he sampled his audience and ascertained their level in the understanding of English before rendering any speeches. It would be better if he followed that route whilst with the media too, because his messages are grandiloquent and unavoidably ambiguous;a majority of readers or audience will learn nothing at the end of the day. On the other hand, if many Nigerians could make” half of the effort” he makes to speak good English, then, there would be hope for improved speaking and writing.
Edwin
November 12, 2011
I love Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, he is my man. He speaks impecable English, he is even adding more to the English vocabulary. He is an entertaining & educating speaker.
solejat
December 6, 2011
duuuuuuuuuh?
bro peter yakubu
April 28, 2012
Honourable please speak simple grammar for our understanding
JKP
April 30, 2012
U made a mistake in the transcriptions. Obiagbhons fourth answer-jejune not deuced
sean
June 5, 2012
As far a public enlightenment is concerned this joker is only speaking in tongues, is English his fathers language, why is he flaunting such superfluity of rubbish,if he cant connect with his audience he has failed,who cares if he has swallowed a dictionary, lets understand what u are saying, we Nigerians are so unrealistic and like to form.
Manfred
August 11, 2012
Really, that is grammar. Do u form ur own dictionary?
Manfred
August 11, 2012
Thx
Manfred
August 11, 2012
Wonderful
Nasir
August 14, 2012
Mumu leader, speak simple English or simply speak Edo, Ijaw or Warri, any of them you speak to me is more valuable than what you are speaking. THIEF LANGUAGE. For God sake what do you mean by (BIG STOUTING & SUYARING)? I AM SURE HE WAS A KEGITE CLUB MEMBER BACK IN SCHOOL.
MUHAMMED M MUHAMMED
September 29, 2012
I YOUR GRAMA
Adeniyi Blessing Marshalsax
January 12, 2013
Y ar ur minds so twisted wit overdose of negativies? Ryt now it it obvious to me dat most of u satirist satiricizing Prof. Pat ar an aggressive juvenile, a mischievous adult rascal n a grievous megalomaniac who is ready to sacrifice himself on d alter of shame,reproach,egoistic expediency and grass opportunism. Av u 4goten or u were not tought dat English is not jst a language, bt a combination of languages. If those big words ar not meant to be used, av u asked urself d reason 4 their existence den?
If u cannot comprehend his grammatical sophistication, den u av to consult ur dico nd upgrade urself. I’ll lyk to giv Prof. Pat a rapturous applause 4 his stupendous effort to change Nigeria 4rm a banana republic to an Utopia. Pat is a genius, a prodigy, a rarity nd a sophisticated man, not jst an ignonimus ignoramous lyk his colleagues wu cannot speak simple English. Pat is imponderable, inalienable,invaluable,ineluctable, nd indispensable in our environment.-MARSHALSAX.
Thomas
February 18, 2013
Thank 4 the notification they use the fake drammar to take in pocket nigerian money