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.”