The Canadian High Commission in Nigeria has broken its silence following the denial of visas to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Christopher Musa and other senior military officers.
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu had slammed the Canadian embassy over the development.
Ribadu’s comments came after Musa disclosed at the maiden annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies (AANISS), held in Abuja on Thursday, that he and his team were invited to Canada for an event honoring war veterans, but half of the delegation was denied visas.
Musa described the incident as “disappointing,” emphasising that it serves as a reminder for Nigeria to “stand strong as a nation” and not be taken for granted.
“Every disappointment is a blessing. Yesterday, I was meant to be in Canada. There’s an event to honour our veterans, those that were injured during battles, and we were meant to be there.
“We were invited with our team. Half has gone and half has been denied. It’s very disappointing,” he emphasised.
Ribadu commended Musa for speaking out about the incident, saying, “Thank you for the courage to say Canada denied you visas. They can go to hell.
He emphasised that despite the disappointment, Nigeria is “peaceful and strong” and must work hard to overcome such challenges.
Ribadu also praised Musa for providing “purposeful leadership” in the war against insecurity.
He noted that all security agencies are collaborating across many parts of the country to address the challenges facing Nigeria.
But the Canadian High Commission in a statement on Friday stated that it could not comment on the status of individual visa applications for privacy reasons.
“The High Commission of Canada in Nigeria is aware of media reports relates to planned travel to Canada by senior officials.
“However, for privacy reasons, we are unable to provide any comment on the status of visa applications of specific individuals,” it posted.
However, a top source, who spoke to The Nation, on the development said: “There was a diplomatic error on the part of desk officers who handled the CDS and others’ visa applications.
“There was no Note Verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs contrary to existing protocol for any trip by high-ranking government officials.
“Since, those going for the trip are top military chiefs. At this level, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ought to attach a Note Verbale indicating that the trip was genuine without security iimplications.”
