Maiduguri crisis has come and gone; and like those before it, was treated with nothing but wishy-washy statements. Reading the response of the Federal Government, royal fathers and eminent Nigerians to the latest mayhem that claimed lives of innocent citizens and destroyed hard-earned and life-supporting property of many (but not eminent) Nigerians, one could not but give in to venting one's anger.

Every now and then, Nigeria buys other peoples' problems, personalizes them and kills for them ("taking panadol for another person's headache") while the real issues that threaten us daily in our land and that are worth dying for are not noticed. And in the end the federal government will come out to lend its voice to those of the eminent Nigerians to plead for peace - crying over spilt milk every time. How come we cannot learn from one experience and ward off future occurrences.

This is not the first time that Nigerians have been killed by Nigerians just because the Muslims in one part of the world have a problem with themselves or another group. And in the end, the eminent Nigerians and Federal Government will come to remind us that we are members of the same family and should learn to live as one. If my brother is after my neck and will kill me because of something that does not concern us or because of somebody else, how brotherly are we, and how do you expect me to take him as my brother? Could it not be true that he sees the other person as a brother more than me?

In 2001, when the USA went to Afghanistan following the September 11 attack, the Muslims in Nigeria were the only group of Muslims in the whole Muslim world who reacted to it violently - resulting in the Kano crisis of October 2001that took the lives and property of Nigerians who were neither Americans nor Afghanis. Of course there are other instances like that where our teeth were set on edge, not because our fore fathers ate sour grapes; but because of what did not concern us. How on earth can someone reconcile this situation and console those who have lost their people and property in this ugly incident, just because a media house in far away Denmark published a cartoon. No one justifies the caricature of a religion or similar acts which simply show how far our age has strayed from God. But how come that in Demark, where this took place, nobody was killed; the protesters didn't carry their protest to churches?

In Islamic countries like Afghanistan such protest was peaceful yet in Nigeria, it was a sufficient and cogent reason to kill; and the target and victims were Christians. It goes beyond my wildest imagination, and calls to mind some other unasked questions in this country which I will later refer to in this article as "Points to Ponder." I wonder why many Nigerians don't see any surprise in this. Instead our governments would rather pretend that it is an act of miscreants who would want to destabilize the government. This is the most annoying thing about the whole issue; how could our government always explain away such heinous acts that have been perpetuated in the name of religion, not once and not twice?

The Federal minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Frank Nweke, on behalf of the government has as usual appealed for dialogue, requesting religious leaders to counsel their followers to refrain from violence in issues that could be solved through dialogue saying, "our people should not allow issues which could be easily talked over to tear them apart" (sometimes one would just conclude, how can they not talk like this when they and their properties are always under protection 24/7 by security men armed to the teeth). In the first place I want to ask, what issues were there to be talked over? There were none as far as I can see. Inasmuch as we have condemned the act of the journalists in Demark, one may still ask has this been the first time a religious figure has been caricatured?

When sometime ago Hollywood produced the movie "Jesus Christ Superstar," the Christian world reacted against it quite all right; but how many lives and properties (including mosques) were lost world wide and particularly in Nigeria? When the Muslims in Nigeria sparked off a riot that destroyed lives and properties in Kaduna, Abuja and other areas in Nigeria in 2003, on account of Thisday's publication in relation to Prophet Mohammed and Miss World pageant which they thought was blaspheming the holy prophet; how many Muslim nations took to the streets to protest against this, lost their lives or took that of their fellow citizens in solidarity with their brethren in Nigeria? Why is it always different in Nigeria? Must Nigerians always die for other peoples' sin; knowing that it is not even easy to die for a good person, much less when you don't have any plans in your life programme to be a vicarious sacrificial lamb?

The problem I am seriously battling with is the fact that, time and again, our authorities do not confront the real issues involved in these cases as one would expect. This always gives room for people to suspect foul play or the legitimization of some people as "sacred cows." Why should the government, eminent Nigerians, and royal fathers who are pleading for peace now, not come out point blank and tell the Muslims that this is a wrong act and charge them with the responsibility of keeping their house in order? Why is it that it is only when those who are pushed to the wall react in self defence or whatever name that you want to call it, that the government will come out to call for peace, advocate dialogue and remind us that we are one family? Why has the government been quiet about this until lately? It is not a new thing to know that the government has never been on time in issues like this. Where were the soldiers, and policemen that were marshaled out now after the cris is to protect corpses and wantonly destroyed properties (churches) when the danger was roaming? Is it not always wise to nip troubles in their buds rather than to correct and to cushion their effects afterwards? Is prevention not better than cure any more?

Facing the issue and avoiding future occurrence is what the Nigerian government and people should do, which we have often failed to do. It is a question of calling a spade a spade; it is about asking the right questions. In the past, people who came out to say things the way they are and appear, were usually cautioned or threatened to watch their words, for their words were seen as incitement. We have been watching our words, and things are spoiling everyday. We need not forget that dialogue builds on sincerity, confronting people with the truth of the matter and exposing the culprit where he/she has gone wrong and not otherwise.

Points to Ponder: Governor Muazu of Bauchi sympathizing with the victims on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2006, reassured us that, "Every citizen of Nigeria has the constitutional right to choose where to stay and carry out legitimate business as well as freedom to associate and practice any religion of choice without molestation." It is a blatant lie for anyone in Nigeria to believe. It really bothers me that the Nigerian people, eminent personalities, royal fathers and the government have not addressed issues like; why is it that in Nigeria, in Muslim dominated areas, Christians are not allowed to freely build their churches, yet Muslims can at any time erect their mosques in any part of this country, even next door to Christian cathedrals? Christians are under restrictions and ordered not to perform their religious worship publicly in such areas, yet on Fridays, roads are closed in almost all parts of Nigeria simply because Muslims are in prayer? It makes me doubt the "one Nigeriann ess" of Nigeria. Do we not mull over why and how some states in Nigeria should legally and legitimately declare themselves Muslim states; and no state has been declared a Christian or African traditional religion's state; yet we pride ourselves as one secular and free nation? These I choose to call points to ponder because they are not for now identified as immediate causes of any religious motivated violence but who knows tomorrow. A stitch in time may still save nine.

We have to face the issue or we will always be sitting on a keg of gunpowder waiting for explosion anytime (which has always happened). For how long will this continue? How long will our people continue to run? How long shall we wait to address the issues that really divide us? How much blood do we wish to flow again? How much waste do we intend to contend with? I think we have run, we have waited, we have flowed and we have wasted enough; now is the time to face issues squarely or we may not have the chance again.

Emeka Xris Obiezu, OSA, is a Nigerian Catholic priest studying in Canada