Canada Insults Nigeria, Denies Its Chief Of Defence Staff, General Musa, Visa

By James Orji

The Canadian High Commission in Nigeria has insulted Nigeria’s Military, and by extension, the Nigerian Government.

The High Commission, Abuja, Nigeria, denied Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and other top Military Officers entry into Canada. They were denied visas.

While it is the prerogative of every Country’s High Commission  or Embassy to either issue or deny Visas to anybody, not a few Nigerians are of the opinion that the denial of Visa to General Musa and others was a direct insult to Nigeria and its people.

The Visa denial by Canada was revealed by the CDS himself at a ceremony in Abuja on Thursday. The revelation outraged not a few Nigerians who think Nigeria should summon the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria to explain the insult. Said a very angry retired Army Officer: “If Musa’s Canadian counterpart was billed for Nigeria, our Leaders would roll out the red carpet. He and his team would even go and meet our President, Minister of Defence, and would be treated to a dinner or gala night. This is shameful.”

According to CDS Musa, he and the Officers were billed for Canada to attend a ceremony in  honour of Nigeria’s fallen Heros. But were disappointed when they were refused Visas.

It is not known why the CDS and company were refused Visas. It is not that any of them was going to abscond or would relocate to Canada. “No ‘Japa’ was expected, opined a source at the Army Headquarters, still they humiliated our bosses.” It cannot also be said that the visas were denied because of insufficient funds.

However, one speculation says it is either the High Commission considered the trip frivolous, or it was not happy with the much touted, alleged, “near -zero” human rights position of the Nigerian Military.

Whatever it was, opinion is that the Canadian High Commission, Abuja, humiliated the entire Nigerian Military – and Nigeria as a country.