On Thursday, the Federal Government and former diplomats denounced Canada’s decision to refuse visas to senior military personnel, including Gen. Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff.
Speaking at the inaugural annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies in Abuja on Thursday, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu voiced his indignation at the action, calling it “disrespectful” and bluntly asserting that Canada “can go to hell.”
The dispute started when Gen. Musa disclosed that he and a number of high-ranking military officials were denied entry to a Canadian gathering honoring veterans of the conflict.
Some delegation members received visas, but others were left stuck after their applications were turned down.
Musa voiced his displeasure and referred to the occurrence as a “wake-up call” for Nigeria to fortify its sovereignty and fight against being taken advantage of by other countries.
He said, “This serves as a reminder that we must stand alone, stand firm as a nation, and not be taken for granted.”
Ribadu endorsed Musa’s comments and commended him for bringing up the matter in public.
He emphasized how crucial it is for Nigeria to concentrate on its own strengths rather than looking for approval from others.
“Thank you for having the guts to say that Canada denied you visas,” the NSA wrote. Hell is an option for them.
“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.
According to a Canadian High Commission official who spoke on condition of anonymity, our journalist will be able to access the embassy’s response to the issue today (Friday).
High-ranking personnel like the Chief of Defense Staff, Chief of Army Staff, and other service heads should normally carry diplomatic passports, according to former Nigerian ambassador to Cameroon Ambassador Rasheed Akinkuolie.
Any visa applications for these high-ranking officials must go via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and include a Note Verbale, according to Akinkuolie.
He clarified that denying such visas is unthinkable and that, as a reciprocal courtesy, the Nigerian mission in Canada ought to postpone processing any applications for diplomatic, official, and private visas for Canadians traveling to Nigeria.
In order to stop similar incidents in the future, Akinkuolie also suggested that the Canadian High Commissioner in Nigeria be called in to look into the matter.
He made the point that visa officers, especially those from the domestic immigration agency, might occasionally be haughty and treat every application with needless indifference.
In order to limit needless delegation growth, he also suggested that future delegations refrain from bringing family members who are not officially involved in the conference.
“Diplomatic passports should normally be held by high officials of the rank of the CDS, COAS, and Service Chiefs,” the retired ambassador clarified. Such high-ranking officials should submit their visa applications via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs along with a Note Verbale.
“It will be impossible to deny a visa in this situation. In order to retaliate for the hostile action, the Nigerian mission in Canada will be directed to postpone for a considerable amount of time any diplomatic, official, or private applications from Canadians traveling to Nigeria.
To prevent a recurrence, the Canadian High Commissioner in Nigeria ought to be called in to look into the visa refusal. The home immigration department’s visa officers can occasionally be quite haughty and have a propensity to handle every application equally and casually.
“But going forward, such delegations shouldn’t be overly large to include family members who aren’t involved in the conference.”
Amb. Mohammed Mabdul, a retired ambassador to Algeria, also addressed the visa denial between Nigeria and Canada, describing it as “highly undiplomatic” in spite of the two nations’ cordial ties.
Mabdul suggested that such measures shouldn’t jeopardize diplomatic relations and urged the Canadian High Commission to reevaluate its choice.
He also emphasized the need for careful thought in diplomatic matters by emphasizing that security issues should be handled carefully and seriously.
“It is very undiplomatic for two friendly countries (Canada and Nigeria) to deny each other visas,” he said. The events must be examined by the Canadian High Commission. It is important to not take security for granted.
Yemi Farounbi, a former Nigerian ambassador to the Philippines, criticized NSA Ribadu for using undiplomatic language when he addressed the denial of his application for entry into Canada.
“The language used cannot be considered diplomatic,” Farounbi stated, adding that he did not believe the NSA handled the situation in the best possible way.
Perhaps the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should have been tasked with handling the situation. 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 Ministry of Foreign Affairs should have been tasked with handling the situation. 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.
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