October first: Should ‘independence’ start with a capital letter?

Start with a capital letter?

Nigeria is in a holiday mood – not ‘an holiday’ mood – today. Even if those who are not civil servants/corporate guys are at work, we all have cause (not ‘course’)to be in high spirits (not ‘in high spirit’) despite the hot socioeconomic wind blowing across the land. After all, today marks the 64th anniversary of our country’s freedom from the grip of colonialists who came as missionaries but soon showed their real colours. They seized our land and established a corrosive imperial rule. This is how South African legend, Desmond Tutu, summarised the colonial tragedy: “When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said ‘Let us pray.’ We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.”

But as we mark the historical day, I want us to reflect on the grammatical status of ‘independence’ in terms of whether it should begin with a capital letter or small. The reason is that one often comes across conflicting versions of it. In the context of the day a country secured freedom from a colonial government, should ‘independence’ begin with the upper or lower case?

As a proper noun

When used with ‘day’ to mean official commemoration, both ‘independence’ and ‘day’ should begin with capital letters: Independence Day. This is so because the words are proper nouns in the circumstance. Remember: a proper noun identifies a single entity and is used to refer to that entity. Examples are names of persons, villages, towns, countries, religions and festivals. That is why we have Akeem Lasisi (not akeem lasisi), Anthony Joshua, Lokoja, London, Islam, Christianity, the World Environment Day, the World Theatre Day and the Independence Day. A proper noun normally starts with a capital letter whether it is at the beginning of a clause, in the middle or at the end of it:

President Bola Tinubu may drop some ministers on independence day. (Wrong)

President Bola Tinubu may drop some ministers on Independence day. (Wrong)

President Bola Tinubu may drop some ministers on independence Day. (Wrong)

President Bola Tinubu may drop some ministers on the Independence Day. (Correct)

Today is mother’s day. (Wrong)

Today is Mother’s Day. (Correct)

As a common noun

However, there is another circumstance in which ‘independence’ should start with the small letter even when it refers to freedom from colonial rule. This is when it conveys a general sense and not the specific official celebration that the Independence Day symbolises. In that case, it is a common word like freedom, oppression, peace, war, sanity and relief:

The nationalists fought hard to secure Nigeria’s independence from colonial masters.

Many youths think Nigeria got its independence on silver platter.

Between ‘Federal Government’ and ‘state government’

In Nigeria’s political structure, the ‘Federal Government’ is an official and a single entity. It is thus a proper noun, meaning we should have the capital F and G when using/writing it in that sense. This is unlike ‘state government’ which does not exist as a separate official entity. So, you need not begin the words with capital letters. When you, however, refer to the official name of a state or a specific state government, the term assumes the status of proper nouns and must then begin with the upper case:

The Federal Government needs to do more  to lessen the hardship in the land.

The Tinubu government needs to do more to lesson the hardship in the land. (Note the small ‘g’ in that context.)

The state government has promised to pay salaries next week.

The Oyo State Government has promised to recruit more teachers.

Rivers State has not conducted the local government election.

Ekiti, Ondo and Osun states are close to one another.

Answers to last week’s assignment

‘Collated’ should be pronounced as …

(a) collatED(B) COLLATID (c) collatES (d) collatIT

‘Asked’ should be pronounced as…

(a) At (b) askID (c) ASkD (d) ASKT

I … whoever is not pleased with the result of the election to go to court.

(a) adviced (b) advises (c) advice (d) ADVISE

(a) is knowing (b) know (c) KNOWS (d) have known

Those who got all the answers right

Ifeanyichukwu Levi Ibekwe, Ilyas Abdulsalam, Nwogwu Sunday, Ayomikun Ekemode, Ayomide Ekemode, Ifeanyi Maduako, Hussainat Dawuda, Akin Gandonu, Iniobong Ukpong, Ademola Adedokun, Godwin Okey, Yemi Oguntola, Kolawole Kareem, Isaiah Igwe Dominion,

Bisiriyu Afolabi, Jadesola Basir, Opeyemi Oyekunle, Ige B. T., Kelvin Igbonoba, Badru Gbenleke, Cynthia Ezekiel, Olusola Atilade, Bryan Efod, Suraj Igbayilola, J. N. Essiet and Kolawole Emmanuel.

Those who also performed well

Oluseyi Aluko, Kolawole Majeed, Adebayo Majeed, E.C Porbeni, Uba Stephen Igwe, Abdwakil Ashafa, Ikpa Cyprian, Mubasiru Agbeniga, Bamidele Fadekemi,Blessing Obi and Temilade Amoo.

Homework

The boy doesn’t know the day Nigeria gained …

(a) Independent (b) Independence (c) independent (d) Independent

All governors have programmes to mark …

(a) the Independence Day (b) the Independence day (c) the Independence’s Day (d) the independence day

Has Gabriel … the letter?

(a) writing (b) wrote (c) written (d) writen