Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence, has stated that Nigeria will respond strongly if Canada fails to resolve the issue surrounding its refusal to grant visas to the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Musa.
The minister’s statement was made in an official release signed by Iyogun Sunday, the Director of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry of Defence.
Matawalle stressed that Nigeria must assert itself on the global stage, following the recent diplomatic incident where visas were denied to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Musa, and other members of the Nigerian delegation.
The delegation was en route to Canada for a significant event honouring Nigerian war veterans when the visas were refused.
The minister expressed deep disappointment at the treatment of the Nigerian delegation, stressing that such actions threaten the diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and Canada.
He remarked, “This is not a mere bureaucratic mistake; it is an affront to our national dignity and integrity. We cannot allow our country to be disrespected in this way on the global stage.”
Matawalle called for an immediate and thorough investigation into the reasons for the visa denial, asserting that Nigeria must respond firmly to protect its standing in international affairs.
“We cannot afford to be passive in the face of such disrespect. The Nigerian government must take a strong diplomatic position. If we do not receive a satisfactory explanation, we must be prepared to take appropriate and assertive action,” he declared.
The visa denial raises serious concerns about how Canada treats Nigerian military officials and the broader state of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
We had previously reported that Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, criticised the Canadian embassy for denying visas to Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa and other top military officers.
Ribadu’s remarks followed an address by Musa at the inaugural annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies (AANISS) in Abuja on Thursday. Musa revealed that his team had been invited to Canada for a ceremony honoring war veterans, but half of the delegation was denied visas.
Musa had called the incident “disappointing” but noted that it served as a reminder for Nigeria to “stand strong as a nation” and not be underestimated.
