Other, Order, Where, Were

SAMPLE 1: “In other to cushion the effects of cost of living crisis on its workers, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced the reduction of public servants working days to three times in a week.” (Sanwo-Olu cuts working days for Lagos civil servants…Opera News, 22 February, 2024)

We consider the expression in other to which occurs in the following context: “in other to cushion the effects of cost of living crisis.” The expression in other to is clearly confused with in order to which is the appropriate one for the context. Again, this issue has engaged our attention repeatedly on this page and it would amount to reinventing the wheel if we do not exercise the freedom to appropriate the fruits of our earlier efforts. That freedom is hereby exercised.

Some Nigerian users of English find it difficult to differentiate in pronunciation between the words order and other, thus carrying the phonological confusion into the idiomatic and syntactic usage.

Now read the following sentences: 1) The Treasury Single Account (TSA) was introduced in order to prevent public officers from exceeding their spending limits. 2) Nigerian languages and cultures are being taught in public schools in order to wean our citizens from unhealthy attachment to foreign languages and culture. 3) Regular parents-teachers meetings are held in order to foster a sustained dialogue between parents and teachers. 4) Politicians hold their meetings at night in order to prevent other people from having access to their information. 5) The pregnant woman was immediately subjected to surgery in order to prevent her from laboring too much. 6) The coach subjected his team to regular rigorous training in order to guarantee a brilliant international outing. 7) A lot of stones and cement were used in order to give the building a strong foundation. 8) He told so many lies in order to present himself as a man of integrity. 9) Many advertisements were placed in newspapers in order to generate goodwill for the organization. 10) Many more hands were employed in order to cope with the volume of production this season requires.

The word order can be used in a variety of other ways that should help highlight the difference between it and the word other. Now read the following sentences: 1) It is the constitutional duty of the police to maintain law and order. 2) People will be attended to in the order in which they arrived. 3) The order of service is contained in the pamphlets distributed to the worshippers. 4) No particular order is followed in the way doctors attended to their patients. 5) The chief executive has given an order which cannot be countermanded. 6) The restriction order in that part of the country has been lifted. 7) Since his assumption of office, the president has been trying to put things in order. 8) The machine is out of order and it will require a huge sum of money to fix it. 9) It may interest you to note that I don’t take orders from just anybody. 10) The company has placed an order for a new generator. 11) The army General ordered his men to leave the city. 12) Students were ordered to stay away from the venue of the meeting.

Next we illustrate the usage of the word other. The word can be used in a number of different senses. Read the following sentences: 1) Apart from excessive cash in circulation, there are other factors responsible for inflation. 2) Apart from Christianity and Islam, there are other important religions in the world. 3) The first gentleman seems to be more responsible than the other two. 4) His father had other children by another wife. 5) There are many other things we need to discuss. 6) The other day he was saying something I didn’t quite understand. 7) I see no reason why the two friends should be quarrelling with each other. 8) There are many other books on the same subject. 9) There are situations other than this in which we can encounter similar challenges. 10) We live on the other side of the street. 11) The other false assumption is that life will go on forever. 12) My uncle’s other properties are in Abuja. 13) Some men discriminate against women. In other words, they feel they are superior to women. 14) Soldiers need to understand that this is a democracy and not military dictatorship. In other words, they should learn to submit themselves to civil authority. 15) Parents have a vital role to play in the moral upbringing of their children. In other words, parents should never leave the spiritual and moral destiny of their children entirely in the hands of teachers.

At any rate, the expression in order to should replace in other to in the context under review.

Sample 2: …President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also directed the National Security Adviser, Inspector General of Police…to work together in ensuring that security agencies inspect warehouses were food [items] are being hoarded in Kano State and other places in Nigeria.” (Bashir Ahmad reacts after President Tinubu said he will not approve importation of food into Nigeria, Opera News, 15 February, 2024)

I would like our readers to pay attention to the structural point at which the form were occurs as follows: “inspect warehouses were food items are being hoarded.” It should be obvious that that form (were) is a contextual oddity. The appropriate form is not were but where. It is astounding that anyone would insert the word were in that structural position.

My guess is that the error stems from a pronunciation crisis on the part of some Nigerians who often pronounce were as where (and presumably vice versa). It is likely the case that they would select where or were blindly in a context requiring just one of them. In other words, the two words remain undifferentiated in reality. Elementary as these issues are, it is expedient to illustrate the usage of the words involved to avoid the risk of misleading young and vulnerable readers.

Please read the following sentences illustrating the usage of the verb were: 1) If I were you I would not borrow a kobo for the burial of such a useless relative. 2) Janet and Ajetunmobi were husband and wife until December last year. 3) The girls were punished for coming late. 4) All the bills were thrown out by the National Assembly because they were allegedly sponsored by the opposition party. 5) The patients were discharged prematurely because the health workers had gone on strike. 6) The children were always complaining about their father’s absence from home. 7) The two women were always trading insults in public. 8) The five names that were initially on the reserve list were later brought to the main list. 9) The villagers were not interested in talking to the police. 10) The offensive clauses were later removed from the constitution.

Please note that like is, am, was, and are, the word were is a form of BE. It occurs in contexts similar to those in which the other forms of BE occur. But specifically, it is: 1) used with plural nouns 2) in its past form. Actually, it is the past form of are.

Now compare its usage with that of where: 1) Where were you when the inspector arrived? 2) Where would you like to spend the next holidays? 3) Where in western Nigeria is the place in which hot water is flowing side by side with cold water? 4) Where are you living? 5) Nobody seems to know where the information leaked. 6) You should know that where your right ends is where another person’s right begins. 7) Where else in Africa is the press as vibrant as our own? 8) He is so energetic that one sometimes wonders where the energy comes from. 9) I will continue to live in Lagos, where I have lived for the past ten years. 10) I don’t even know where to start. 11) Where is your faith, you doubting Thomas?

At any rate, the required form in the context is: where.