Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has strongly criticized the Canadian Embassy for refusing a visa to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa.
The general revealed on Thursday that he and some members of his team were denied entry into Canada despite being invited to an event honoring war veterans.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Tunji-Ojo expressed disappointment over the decision, calling it an insult to Nigeria.
He questioned how regular Nigerian citizens would be treated if even the country’s top military officer faced 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.
Tunji-Ojo also noted that any concerns the Canadian government had regarding the visa application could have been handled through diplomatic means rather than outright denial. He assured that Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs would address the matter to ensure mutual respect between both countries.
Meanwhile, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, also spoke against Canada’s decision. During the same event where General Musa revealed his visa denial, Ribadu did not hold back his frustration.
Ribadu said Canada could “go to hell,” adding that this situation is another reason Nigerian leaders must work to improve conditions within the country.
