The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has vehemently criticised the Canadian Embassy’s refusal to grant a visa to General Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
The dispute arose after General Musa revealed that he and other senior military officials were denied entry to attend a prestigious event in Canada meant to honor war veterans.
While some members of the Nigerian delegation successfully secured visas, several high-ranking officers were left stranded when their applications were turned down.
Musa expressed his disappointment over the denial, calling it a “wake-up call” for Nigeria to strengthen its sovereignty and safeguard its interests on the international stage.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Tunji-Ojo called the Canadian embassy’s actions “unacceptable” and an affront to Nigeria’s dignity.
Read Also: Reasons CDS, others were denied Canada visas revealed
He emphasised that such a move tarnishes the diplomatic relations between the two nations and called for a firm and decisive response to preserve Nigeria’s global standing.
He said: “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.”
.){kind=link}