Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has strongly condemned the Canadian Embassy for refusing a visa to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and his team members.
Visa Denial Sparks Controversy
General Musa revealed on Thursday that he and his team were denied visas to attend an event in Canada honoring war veterans.
Tunji-Ojo: “An Insult to Nigeria”
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, the Minister criticized the decision, calling it a disrespect to Nigeria as a sovereign nation.
❓ “If the Chief of Defence Staff can be denied a visa, how then are ordinary Nigerians treated?” he asked.
The controversy has sparked public outrage, with many calling for diplomatic accountability from the Canadian government.
“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 expressed difficulty in justifying Canada’s decision, emphasising that any concerns the embassy had could have been addressed through diplomatic channels. He assured that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would take necessary steps to resolve the issue and uphold mutual respect between the two nations.
