Patrick Obahiagbon, former Chief of Staff to ex Edo state governor Adams Oshiomhole, has said that he developed his repertoire of ‘high-sounding’ words through extensive reading.

According to him, he doesn’t speak the way he does to mesmerize his audiences, he claims they flow naturally from the pool of words and phrases he has accumulated through a regular use of the dictionary.

Obahiagbon, who spoke to Punch said that he would encourage his children, who are already used to his esoteric words, to cultivate the gift of the gab.

He said:
“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.”