The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has slammed the Canadian Embassy for refusing a visa to Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, calling it a national insult.
General Musa disclosed on Thursday, at the maiden annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies, that he and some members of his team were denied visas to attend a Canada-hosted event honouring war veterans.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Tunji-Ojo criticised the embassy’s action, describing it as a slight against Nigeria’s sovereignty. He questioned the treatment of ordinary Nigerians if even the country’s highest-ranking military officer was subjected to such rejection.
“Without knowing the full facts, I think even for us it is a policy, the issue of reciprocity as I always say, has to be given due consideration. As much as we are not ready to dabble into the sovereignty of other nations, the issue of visas, issue of migration management is a sovereign issue.
“As much as we don’t want to dabble into that, it is not a disrespect to the chief of defence staff, to me, without knowing the facts, it is disrespectful to the country, and it is disrespectful to us as a people. If that can happen to the chief of defence staff, then I am worried for an average Nigerian,” he stated.
The minister stressed that Canada could have addressed any concerns through diplomatic channels rather than outright denial. He assured that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would take the necessary steps to resolve the matter and uphold Nigeria’s dignity on the global stage.
Meanwhile, National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu also blasted Canada’s action, expressing his outrage at the same event where General Musa recounted the experience.
Ribadu, visibly frustrated, declared that Canada could “go to hell,” adding that this was yet another reason for Nigerian leaders to focus on improving the country.
