Federal Govt fumes over Canadian Embassy’s refusal of visas for CDS, orhers
Federal Govt fumes over Canadian Embassy’s refusal of visas for CDS, orhers
General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) of Nigeria, was denied a visa by the Canadian Embassy, a move that Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has severely denounced.
The scandal started when General Musa disclosed that he and a number of high-ranking military officials had been refused visas to attend a war veterans’ ceremony in Canada.
Some of the Nigerian delegation’s members were allowed admission, while several important officials were left stranded when their visa applications were denied.
In a statement, General Musa expressed his deep disappointment over the situation, describing the incident as a “wake-up call” for Nigeria.
He called for the nation to bolster its sovereignty and push back against any foreign disrespect.
Tunji-Ojo echoed Musa’s sentiments during his appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’, condemning the Canadian embassy’s actions as “unacceptable” and an affront to Nigeria’s dignity.
The Minister stressed that such a move reflects poorly on Canada’s diplomatic relationship with Nigeria and urged for a stronger response to safeguard national interests on the global stage.
“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.”
The Minister expressed difficulty in understanding Canada’s decision, highlighting that even if there were concerns, diplomatic channels could have been used to address them.
He voiced confidence that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would take appropriate diplomatic measures to resolve the matter and maintain respectful relations between Nigeria and Canada.
