n English language, words are analyzed into comparative and superlative forms to show the favourable or unfavourable state of things. For instance: Good, better, best. Bad, worse, worst. Good means that something is normal. Better shows that there is an improvement while best expresses the climax of its goodness. Bad is a negative outlook. Worse portrays deterioration. Worst is an expression of hopelessness. The word 'Excellent' expresses that something is so wonderful or praise-worthy. The opposite of excellent is outrageous. An unintelligent junior secondary student at the end of his promotion examination came home with his result enclosed in an envelope. Without knowledge of his score, he handed over the result to his father with smiles. Anxiously, the father opened the envelope. What he saw nearly caused him hypertension. The result sheet was clouded with conspicuous red marks. On the class teacher's remark column was written in bold letters: WOEFUL FAILURE. This means that the student did not only fail, but was caused with academic woes. In other words, woe to him, if he does not repeat the class he failed. Half education is dangerous. A school dropout has no future.

During oral examinations, the examiner normally holds two ball-points. One is blue or black while the other one is red. Once he holds the blue or black while you are answering, it gives you confidence that you are doing well. If he or she takes up the red biro, it means there is danger. Failure knocks at your academic door. I still remember an incidence that happened during our senior seminary oral examination. While the seminarian was making incoherent statements over the question he was asked, the examiner held up his red biro. Emotionally the seminarian grasped him and pleaded for clemency. In order to avoid collateral damage, the merciful examiner dropped the red biro and held up the blue one. The seminarian smiled and exclaimed, "I am now satisfied! Even if I fail, it will not be woefully." Red is a symbol of academic earthquake.

To say that one fell from grace to grass means that the person is heading to doom. Likewise to say that something fell from frying pan into fire is an expression of worsening deterioration. Our country Nigeria has fallen from grace to grass and she has fallen from frying pan into fire presently. We were groaning under economic hardship when fuel subsidy was still at work in the last political dispensation of ex-president Buhari. The current political leadership under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the day his inauguration removed the fuel subsidy without adequate plan to cushion its instant negative effects. It was the first political blunder this administration committed. Before he stepped down from the swearing-in rostrum, the cost of fuel tripled.

In human activity there is what is called transferred aggression. When I was pasturing the flock of God at Nibo in Awka South Local Government of Anambra State, there was a fracas between the Church and traditional adherents of the town. We went to court of law because our religious right was infringed upon. Very early one morning, I and the first vice chairman of our parish went to see our lawyer over the matter. It was around 7a.m. We knocked severally at the lawyer's door without quick response. Eventually the lawyer came out fuming. He even buttoned his suit incorrectly. As soon as we greeted him good morning he sparked like consuming fire. I stood aloof as my vice chairman engaged him in verbal morning altercation. From my vantage point I shouted, "Fire!" Afterwards I sued for calm but the fire ignited the more. It was when the wife of the lawyer eventually came out that we learnt that she had an early morning quarrel with the lawyer husband over his early breakfast which was not ready. Consequently he transferred the anger to us as innocent as we were. Eventually the lawyer hurried to his chambers still boiling with anger. On arrival he slapped his steward for greeting him good morning without adding Sir. I am still imagining what transpired in court that day as he defended his client.

In biology there is a concept known as food chain. For instance, the termite feeds on wood. In turn the termite is consumed by the fowl. The fowl was later preyed by the wild dog. Then a hunter killed the wild dog for meat. At last the hunter died and his remains were consumed in the grave by termites. One thing becomes food for one creature or the other. The chain continues.

The exorbitant cost of fuel affects all essential commodities in the market. A bag of rice is now about N77,000. Beans, yams, garri, semovita, oil, etc. are not left out in unreasonable increment. Cooking gas is now beyond the reach of the common man. Kerosine, which was the prerogative of the poor man, is currently even beyond the reach of the rich. Even firewood is very costly. Since men learnt to shoot without aiming, 'eneke' the bird learned to fly without perching. It is now time to learn to eat raw foods. The cooking will be done in the stomach before digestion. After all, animals do not cook what they eat. The wild animals kill their prey and consume it raw. What the belly needs is food, whether cooked or raw.

Few days ago I went to a building materials market to do some purchases. I almost had a stroke when I was told that the cost of a bag of cement was twelve thousand naira. Currently the price has risen to thirteen thousand naira or more per bag. In order to avoid high blood pressure, I hurried to the ongoing work site in my parish. I shouted to the workers like a mad man, "Stop work! Please go home till further notice!" One of the workers approached me with trembling and asked, "Father, what is wrong? I don't want to go home because my wife and my half dozen children are hungry. If I stop work it will be hazardous in my family." I was indeed touched to the bone marrow. I gentle calmed him down before telling him that the cost of cement is outrageous. Emotionally he asked me, "I am a school dropout. What is the meaning of outrageous?" I asked him to go to any market now within Nigeria and he would learn the meaning from the marketers. As he was packing his working tools, he was chorusing and dancing, "Out, out, out…rageous! Out, out, out … rageous!!" Pitifully I looked at him and said, "Ignorance is a disease." When he finds out the meaning of that stubborn word he will be fatally dumbfounded.

During the austerity measure introduced by the military Administration of General Ibrahim Babangida, the high cost of living compelled a man called Andy to head towards the international airport shouting, "I am checking out!" In those days Nigerians were in purgatory. The likes of Andy were lucky to check out for greener pastures overseas. Today we are in hell. Where shall we run to since the cost of transportation and flight have skyrocketed? Few years ago, I used to fly to German for my annual holidays. As things stand now, I cannot even afford a flight ticket to Lagos. We are in a precarious situation. The days of Coronavirus are better than the current outrageous condition of living. O God, come to our aid!