₦airaland Forum

onimcee1:
I would like to know the meaning, the origin and
how the following phrase should be used:
: : 'all protocols observed'
: That's interesting. Having always lived in the UK,
it was utterly unfamiliar to me, and I had to Google
to find examples of its use. Judging by the
contexts I found it in (Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa,
Uganda) it appears to be an African way of starting
a formal speech. Now, traditionally the correct
protocol for starting a formal speech is by
addressing everyone in your audience in order of
precedence, e.g. "Your Excellency, Minister, My
Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen". In these and other
African countries it is apparently now customary to
start instead with: "Ladies and Gentlemen, all
protocols observed". Thus the phrase means
something like: "You know who you all are, just
take it as read that I have listed you as corrrect
protocol dictates, OK?"
: Presumably the phrase originated as a way of
avoiding listing your hearers in order of
precedence - either because you don't know
everyone there, or don't know the correct order, or
because there is some dispute over who has
precedence and you don't want to commit
yourself.
: In any country where it is now accepted as the
correct way of starting a speech, it should be used
to start a speech. But not anywhere else!


In addition, 'Protocols' are a system of 'rules', customs and
observances which can govern any sort of activity,
so if 'all protocols are observed' it means the
speaker or writer is claiming that the relevant
niceties have been followed.
1. It is clearly a lie.
In essence you have NOT observed all protocols.
It is just a claim that the necessarily rules of
decorum have been observed but we all know
protocol was overlooked altogether. Consider this,
if you had been asked to pass a vote of thanks,
would you thank one or two people and then
state “All thanks given?”
2. There are other ways to observe protocol
without having to mention each and every
dignitary present.
One way is clustering: You can use a general
phrase to address all that fall within a certain
category – honourable delegates, distinguished
ladies and gentlemen, your excellencies, my
Lords etc. That way due diligence is paid.
3. It is a home-grown expression, unrecognised
by the rest of the world.
Other than Kenyans, Nigerians, Ugandans and
some South Africans who have become
accustomed to hearing this, the expression
remains totally alien to the rest of the world. Your
audience will be at a loss as to what you mean;
and as to why you have opted for that ‘short-
cut.’
4. It is not necessary to use that expression
when protocol has indeed been observed.
At times the speaker does indeed take his or her
time to mention the dignitaries in the audience in
order of precedence but spoils it by concluding
the list with “all protocols observed.” If protocol
has indeed been observed then that will be
apparent to the audience and therefore redundant
to include that out-of-place phrase.

menxer:
Come on! That phrase ("all protocols observed" or "standing on existing protocols" ) is used mainly by subsequent speakers at a function when the first speaker must have acknowledged the presence of all dignitaries.

Besides that it's not a practice in UK or USA does not make it wrong.

Are we not free to decide how we greet ourselves?

onimcee1:
I would like to know the meaning, the origin and
how the following phrase should be used:
: : 'all protocols observed'
: That's interesting. Having always lived in the UK,
it was utterly unfamiliar to me, and I had to Google
to find examples of its use. Judging by the
contexts I found it in (Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa,
Uganda) it appears to be an African way of starting
a formal speech. Now, traditionally the correct
protocol for starting a formal speech is by
addressing everyone in your audience in order of
precedence, e.g. "Your Excellency, Minister, My
Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen". In these and other
African countries it is apparently now customary to
start instead with: "Ladies and Gentlemen, all
protocols observed". Thus the phrase means
something like: "You know who you all are, just
take it as read that I have listed you as corrrect
protocol dictates, OK?"
: Presumably the phrase originated as a way of
avoiding listing your hearers in order of
precedence - either because you don't know
everyone there, or don't know the correct order, or
because there is some dispute over who has
precedence and you don't want to commit
yourself.
: In any country where it is now accepted as the
correct way of starting a speech, it should be used
to start a speech. But not anywhere else!


In addition, 'Protocols' are a system of 'rules', customs and
observances which can govern any sort of activity,
so if 'all protocols are observed' it means the
speaker or writer is claiming that the relevant
niceties have been followed.
1. It is clearly a lie.
In essence you have NOT observed all protocols.
It is just a claim that the necessarily rules of
decorum have been observed but we all know
protocol was overlooked altogether. Consider this,
if you had been asked to pass a vote of thanks,
would you thank one or two people and then
state “All thanks given?”
2. There are other ways to observe protocol
without having to mention each and every
dignitary present.
One way is clustering: You can use a general
phrase to address all that fall within a certain
category – honourable delegates, distinguished
ladies and gentlemen, your excellencies, my
Lords etc. That way due diligence is paid.
3. It is a home-grown expression, unrecognised
by the rest of the world.
Other than Kenyans, Nigerians, Ugandans and
some South Africans who have become
accustomed to hearing this, the expression
remains totally alien to the rest of the world. Your
audience will be at a loss as to what you mean;
and as to why you have opted for that ‘short-
cut.’
4. It is not necessary to use that expression
when protocol has indeed been observed.
At times the speaker does indeed take his or her
time to mention the dignitaries in the audience in
order of precedence but spoils it by concluding
the list with “all protocols observed.” If protocol
.

IamaNigerianGuy:
onimcee1
As you have no doubt observed from responses to your article, most Nigerians are unteachable

IamaNigerianGuy:
onimcee1
As you have no doubt observed from responses to your article, most Nigerians are unteachable

Gmajor:
What a sensible person would have observed is that Nigerians are intelligent and they don't swallow B.S hook, line and sinker

IamaNigerianGuy:
To your mind bastardizing convention is sensible? Even when you have no improvement?
saying "I stand on existing protocol" makes the person sound illiterate
smh.
You still have much to learn

onimcee1:
you can not stand on existing protocols as none was probably in existence.
below are some definitions of the term"PROTOCOL", none of them defines it as the dignitaries in an event.
1. the official procedure or system of rules
governing affairs of state or diplomatic
occasions.
2. the original draft of a diplomatic document,
especially of the terms of a treaty agreed to
in conference and signed by the parties.
3. a formal or official record of scientific
experimental observations.
4. a set of rules governing the exchange or
transmission of data between devices.

konfused:
In Igbo settings, same rules applies, when you want to address the elders, instead of calling them out by their titled names one by one, you can say.....nke onye chiri ya zere ya........meaning, to each, let his title be for him.


So I believe that's same thing being observed by Africans when they say all protocols observed.

IamaNigerianGuy:
onimcee1
As you have no doubt observed from responses to your article, most Nigerians are unteachable

mu2sa2:
Stand on existing protocol or all protocols observed seems to be of Nigerian origin and the other African countries mentioned caught the bug.