All hell was almost let loose in Nigeria as the federal government and some former diplomats on Thursday condemned Canada’s decision to deny visas to top military chiefs, including the Chief of Army Staff.
An apparently frustrated Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s national security adviser, at the maiden annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies, expressed outrage at the move calling it “disrespectable” and boldly declaring that Canada “can go to hell.”
Gen. Musa had revealed that he and some other brass hats had been denied visas thereby preventing them from honouring war veterans at the Invictus Games taking place in Vancouver, Canada.
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 other nations.
Former Nigerian ambassador to Cameroon, Ambassador Rasheed Akinkuolie said high-ranking officials like the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, and other service chiefs should typically hold diplomatic passports and visa applications for them should have been routed through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said 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.
However, a former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines criticized Ribadu’s choice of language in addressing the rejection of the Canada entry application, describing it as undiplomatic.
He 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.”
