SIM-NIN integration extension period grossly inadequate Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr. It is Christmas season and a time for deep sober reflections for mankind. One thing being a columnist has taught me is that you need to have thick skin to maintain your emotional balance. Yes, it is very easy to get emotional, especially when you have written about diverse national issues many of which went completely ignored and we end up not making much progress. Last week, I wrote about the unrealistic SIM-NIN integration directive and the need for an extension. One fact that should be taken into cognisance is that when issuing a directive in a peculiar country such as Nigeria, it must be thoroughly thought through, with every base covered. With that done, decisions taken then need to be effectively communicated over a reasonable and practical period of time. Anything short of that would likely bring back repressed memories of the dark days of the military regimes, where consultations and compromise were thrown out of the window and if done at all, were simply a play to the gallery.