Canada’s denial of visa to CDS disrespectful to Nigeria, says Tunji-Ojo
By Jeffrey Agbo
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has condemned the Canadian Embassy for denying a visa to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, calling it an act of disrespect toward Nigeria.
General Musa revealed on Thursday, during the maiden annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies, that he and members of his team were refused visas to attend an event in Canada honouring war veterans.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Tunji-Ojo criticised the decision, questioning how ordinary Nigerians would be treated if even the country’s highest-ranking military officer was denied entry.
“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.
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“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 noted that any concerns from the Canadian Embassy could have been addressed through diplomatic channels rather than outright denial. He assured that Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs would take appropriate steps to address the issue and ensure mutual respect between both nations.
Earlier, National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, expressed outrage over the visa denial while speaking at the same event.
He also praised General Musa’s leadership in tackling insecurity, emphasising the ongoing cooperation among Nigeria’s security agencies in safeguarding the nation.
