This question is based on Kabir Alabi Garba's The Lekki Headmaster. "Red-tapism is found everywhere" means

Analyze the question The sentence "Red-tapism is found everywhere" comes from the JAMB literature text The Lekki Headmaster. You are asked what "red-tapism" means, so this is a vocabulary question, and the context helps too.

Explain the concept "Red tape" is an idiom for excessive bureaucracy: rigid rules, needless paperwork and long official procedures that delay action. The term comes from the red ribbon once used to tie up official documents. "Red-tapism" is the practice or culture of this excessive official formality.

The key word is excessive. Red tape is not just formality, which can be normal and necessary. It is formality that has become a burden and causes delay.

Solution: checking each option

• A. Excessive official formality is everywhere. This is correct. It captures both "official formality" and the negative sense of "excessive."
• B. Red tape worm is found everywhere. This is wrong. It takes the words literally, and there is no such thing as a "red tape worm" here.
• C. Red tapes are everywhere. This is wrong. It is also literal, as if it meant physical red ribbons.
• D. Official formality is everywhere. This is close but incomplete. It leaves out the idea of excess, which is the whole point of the idiom. Formality alone is not criticized, but red tape is.

**Answer: A.

Exam tip When an idiom appears in a JAMB English question, don't take it literally. Eliminate the literal options first (B and C here). Then choose between the remaining options by looking for the one that carries the idiom's negative or intensified meaning. Words like "excessive" are often the deciding factor.