I have personally been challenged by the question of Nigeria’s terrorist status over the last few weeks flowing from the unfortunate event of a misguided youth trying out his hands with under-pant pyrotechnics. But beyond the feverishness of the moment is the seeming pull factor which this circumstance has evinced. We have somehow been pulled to look closely in the direction of the antecedents of Nigeria and make a fair assessment if or not we deserve such appendage from the United States. While the patriotic me screams “HELL NO WE AREN’T”, and I feel like joining every Facebook group that stands against the listing of Nigeria on the terror watch list, I still find myself asking the seeming innocuous question: “Is Nigeria a terrorist country?”

I arrived safely at the JFK airport in New York, after the much hassle in Lagos and Istanbul only to be subjected to a 30 minutes thorough search, just when I thought I had escaped the adversities of the time. As I stood there subjected to such humiliation including almost having my laptop decoupled because of some three missing screws behind, issues raced to and fro my mind on the series of unfortunate events that has so beset Nigeria towards the close of 2009. A sick and wanted President, a fickle-minded government lacking the boldness to act in the face of national dishonor, broken promises, religious crises, and the likes, I felt as though being a Nigerian was increasingly being a risk.
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We set goals about every thing around us, but most times fail critically when it comes to personal traits. Your character, deportment and antecedent (if I am allowed to combine all three) are an integral part of your human package, and they create a solid platform to launch you into any level of success which you desire. So after assessing myself by myself this past days, I have decided on my top ten ‘musts’ for the year 2010, perhaps for the decade as well. These are traits I want to improve on, and stating them here will keep me accountable; and I know someone will at least try to test me on one of them. 🙂

1. I will be nicer from now on. Being nice shouldn’t be predicated on how you feel, but a natural response to all those around you regardless of their demands. I have found that it is easier to be not nice and grumpy all the time. So deliberately I will challenge myself to be nice and not being pretensive in any way.

2. I will give more. I have always prayed for the resources to give more, but I find that when I increase in substance, it doesn’t necessarily equate with an increase capacity to give. So my prayer will change this year to asking for an increased capacity to give; perchance I may be entrusted with more resources to give.
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