Canada has shown a lack of respect towards Nigeria by refusing the visa for the Chief of Defence Staff, according to Tunji-Ojo.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has expressed strong disapproval of the Canadian Embassy's decision to deny a visa to Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa.
During the inaugural annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies on Thursday, General Musa disclosed that he and several members of his team were denied visas to participate in an event in Canada honoring war veterans.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Tunji-Ojo criticized the embassy's actions, labeling them as disrespectful to Nigeria as a whole. He raised concerns about how ordinary Nigerians might be treated if the nation’s highest military official is subjected to such treatment.
“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 conveyed challenges in rationalizing Canada's decision, highlighting that any issues raised by the embassy could have been resolved through diplomatic means. He guaranteed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would implement the required measures to address the situation and maintain mutual respect between the two countries.
In a related development, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu previously criticized Canada's actions, expressing his discontent during the same event where General Musa recounted his experiences.
Ribadu remarked that Canada could "go to hell," asserting that this situation underscores the necessity for Nigerian leaders to improve the nation.