Zero Processing Fee: To Help Businesses, GTBank Eliminates POS Processing Fees Zero Processing Fee: To Help Businesses, GTBank Eliminates POS Processing Fees Officials in Nigeria denounce Canada’s refusal to provide military leaders visas.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
Nigerian Authorities Denounce Canada’s Refusal to Grant Military Leaders Visas Canada’s decision to refuse visas to senior Nigerian military leaders, including as Gen. Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defense Staff, and other high-ranking officers, has been denounced by the Federal Government and former ambassadors. The incident started when Gen. Musa disclosed that some delegation members were left stranded when a number of senior officials were denied entry to a Canadian event commemorating war heroes.
At the inaugural annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies in Abuja on Thursday, National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu voiced his disapproval of the situation. Ribadu said, “Canada can go to hell,” calling the visa decision “disrespectful.” He praised Musa for speaking out on the matter and underlined how important it is for Nigeria to improve its indigenous capabilities.
“I agree with you that it is time to fix our nation, despite the fact that it is painful and disrespectful. We are powerful and peaceful. This is just one more reason why we need to put in a lot of effort to make Nigeria function,” Ribadu said. The incident, according to Gen. Musa, was a “wake-up call” for Nigeria to resist being taken advantage of by other countries. He stressed, “This serves as a reminder that we must stand alone, stand firm as a nation, and not be taken for granted.”
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Canadian High Commission official said an official answer would be given on Friday. Ambassador Rasheed Akinkuolie, a former Nigerian ambassador to Cameroon, called the visa denial “inconceivable” and suggested that Canadian visa applications be processed with a reciprocal wait. Additionally, he suggested calling for an explanation from the Canadian High Commissioner.
Diplomatic passports are typically required for high-ranking officials, such as the CDS, COAS, and Service Chiefs. Akinkuolie clarified that applications for such high-ranking officials’ visas must be submitted via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs along with a Note Verbale. As a reciprocal response, the Nigerian mission in Canada should postpone any official, private, and diplomatic applications from Canadians traveling to Nigeria if such a rejection takes place.
In order to prevent needless problems, Ambassador Akinkuolie again underlined the significance of restricting delegations to official people. The Canadian High Commission should reevaluate the visa denial, according to retired Ambassador to Algeria Amb. Mohammed Mabdul, who called it “highly undiplomatic.” Mabdul cautioned, “The issue of security should not be taken for granted,” emphasizing that such acts should not damage diplomatic relations.
However, Ribadu’s use of language was deemed undiplomatic by Yemi Farounbi, the former Nigerian ambassador to the Philippines. “I don’t think the NSA handled the situation as well as they could have, and the language they used isn’t diplomatic,” Farounbi stated. He recommended that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs be tasked with handling the matter.
“Any applicant may be granted or denied a visa by any sovereign nation. Given the two-way interaction, diplomatic channels may have been used to resolve the issue. He continued, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would have used appropriate language and is the best agency for handling such matters.” Farounbi also cautioned against agencies and departments assuming responsibilities that belong to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
There are times when high-ranking officials travel abroad without alerting the Nigerian Embassy there. “This is not the proper way to handle such matters,” he stated. All eyes are on Canada’s formal response as diplomatic tensions increase, as well as any possible steps Nigeria might take to resolve the matter. CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
