Regarding the denial of a visa to General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defense Staff of Nigeria, the Canadian High Commission has said nothing. In a brief statement, the High Commission said that it was not addressing the problem because of privacy concerns.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
The Canadian High Commission in Nigeria is aware of media stories about top officials’ upcoming trips. However, we are unable to comment on the progress of individual visa applications due to privacy concerns,” the statement said. General Musa revealed that a number of top military personnel, including himself, were left stranded after their visas were denied. He expressed disappointment and called the occurrence a “wake-up call” for Nigeria to strengthen its sovereignty and prevent foreign countries from taking it for granted.
In response, Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo stated that the denial had no basis. Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Tunji-Ojo said the Canadian embassy’s move was unacceptable and demonstrated a lack of regard for Nigeria. Without knowing all the details, I believe that even for us, it is a policy; as I often say, the question of reciprocity needs to be given careful thought.
“The subject of visas and migration control is a sovereign matter, even though we are not prepared to encroach on other countries’ sovereignty. As much as we would like to avoid becoming involved, I believe that without knowing the facts, it is insulting to the nation and to us as a people, even though it is not disrespectful to the Chief of Defense Staff. I’m concerned for the typical Nigerian if it can happen to the chief of defense staff.
Even if the embassy required inquiries, there were diplomatic back channels via which that could have been done, the Minister said, adding that he was having difficulty finding a rationale for Canada’s move. He expressed his confidence that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would take the required actions to guarantee respect between the two countries and find a diplomatic solution to the problem.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
