The Federal Government and former diplomats on Thursday condemned Canada’s decision to deny visas to top military officials, including the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, and other senior officers.
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who spoke on Thursday at the maiden annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies in Abuja, expressed outrage at the move, calling it “disrespectful” and boldly declaring that Canada “can go to hell.”
The controversy unfolded when Gen Musa revealed that he and several senior military officers were blocked from attending an event in Canada meant to honour war veterans.
While some members of the delegation were granted visas, others were left stranded after their applications were denied.
Musa expressed his disappointment, calling the incident a “wake-up call” for Nigeria to strengthen its sovereignty and resist being taken for granted by foreign nations.
“This is a reminder that we must stand on our own, stand strong as a nation, and refuse to be taken for granted,” he advised.
Ribadu supported Musa’s remarks, praising him for publicly addressing the issue.
He emphasised the importance of Nigeria focusing on its internal strength rather than seeking external validation.
The NSA noted, “Thank you for the courage to say Canada denied you visas. They can go to hell.
“Even though it’s painful and disrespectful, we are peaceful, we are strong, and I agree with you—it is time to fix our country. This is yet another reason we must work hard to make Nigeria work.”
An official in the Canadian High Commission who spoke on the condition of anonymity informed our correspondent that the embassy’s response to the matter would be made available today (Friday).
Former Nigerian ambassador to Cameroon, Ambassador Rasheed Akinkuolie, also weighed in, asserting that high-ranking officials such as the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, and other service chiefs should typically hold diplomatic passports.
Akinkuolie noted that any visa applications for these top officials should be routed through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and accompanied by a Note Verbale.
He explained that denial of such visas is inconceivable, and should it occur, the Nigerian mission in Canada should delay processing all diplomatic, official, and private visa applications for Canadians visiting Nigeria as a reciprocal measure.
Akinkuolie also recommended that the Canadian High Commissioner in Nigeria be summoned to investigate the situation to prevent future occurrences.
He pointed out that visa officers, particularly those from the home immigration department, can sometimes be arrogant and treat all applications with unnecessary disregard.
Furthermore, he advised that future delegations should avoid including family members who have no official role in the conference, to prevent unnecessary expansion of the delegation.
The retired ambassador explained, “High officials of the rank of the CDS, COAS, and Service Chiefs should normally hold diplomatic passports. Application for visas of such top officials should be routed through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and forwarded with a Note Verbale.
“In this case, denial of visa will be inconceivable. If it is denied, the Nigerian mission in Canada will be instructed to delay all diplomatic, official and private applications of Canadians visiting Nigeria for an extended period, to reciprocate the hostile action.
“The Canadian High Commissioner in Nigeria should be summoned to investigate the visa denial, to avoid a repetition. Sometimes, the visa officers, who are from the home immigration department are very arrogant, with the tendency to treat all applications, the same way and with levity.
“However, in future, such delegations should not be unnecessarily over bloated, to include family members, who have nothing to do with the conference.”
Also, a retired ambassador to Algeria, Amb. Mohammed Mabdul, addressed the visa denial between Nigeria and Canada, calling it “highly undiplomatic” despite the two countries’ friendly relationship.
Mabdul urged the Canadian High Commission to reconsider its decision, suggesting that diplomatic relations should not be undermined by such actions.
Additionally, he pointed out that security issues should be handled with seriousness and caution, highlighting the need for careful consideration in diplomatic matters.
He said, “The visa denial between two friendly countries (Nigeria and Canada) is highly undiplomatic. The Canadian High Commission must review what transpired. The issue of security should not be taken for granted.”
However, a former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Yemi Farounbi, criticised the NSA, Ribadu, for his choice of language in addressing the rejection of his Canada entry application, describing it as undiplomatic.
Farounbi said, “I don’t think the NSA handled the matter in the best possible way, and the language used cannot be considered diplomatic.
“Perhaps the matter should have been referred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I am confident that the Ministry would have handled it differently, most likely by inviting the Canadian High Commissioner for a discussion.
“Every sovereign nation has the right to grant or deny visas to any applicant. In this case, considering the existing bilateral relationship, the matter could have been addressed through diplomatic channels. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the best agency for handling matters like this, and they would have used appropriate language,” he added.
“I don’t think the NSA handled the matter in the best possible way, and the language used cannot be considered diplomatic.
“Perhaps the matter should have been referred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I am confident that the Ministry would have handled it differently, most likely by inviting the Canadian High Commissioner for a discussion.
“Every sovereign nation has the right to grant or deny visas to any applicant. In this case, considering the existing bilateral relationship, the matter could have been addressed through diplomatic channels. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the best agency for handling matters like this, and they would have used appropriate language.”
Farounbi also warned against Ministries, Departments, and Agencies attempting to take on the responsibilities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs without the necessary expertise.
“There is a tendency in Nigeria for other ministries to attempt to perform the functions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, despite lacking the required expertise.
“There are instances where top officials visit foreign countries without informing the Nigerian Embassy in those countries. This is not how such matters should be handled,” he said.
