Kehinde Fajobi
Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has criticised the Canadian Embassy for denying a visa to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Christopher Musa, calling it an act of disrespect to Nigeria.
The issue came to light after Gen Musa revealed that he and several senior military officers were denied visas to attend an event in Canada honouring war veterans.
While some members of the delegation received approval, others were left stranded.
Expressing disappointment, the CDS described the incident as a “wake-up call” for Nigeria to assert its sovereignty and not be taken for granted.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Tunji-Ojo strongly condemned the embassy’s decision.
“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,” he said.
He emphasised that while Nigeria respects other nations’ sovereignty in migration management, such treatment of the CDS was unacceptable.
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“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.”
Tunji-Ojo also questioned the justification for the visa denial, stating that any concerns the Canadian authorities had could have been addressed through diplomatic channels.
He expressed confidence that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would take steps to resolve the matter diplomatically and ensure mutual respect between both nations.