Ribadu’s fury over Canadian visa refusal, By Azu Ishiekwene

The job at hand is to dig us out of that gap, a major level Ribadu made however sadly misplaced in his match of anger. Trendy consular diplomacy contains, amongst different issues, a well timed, trusted, and safe data-sharing system that provides events to a transaction affordable consolation. The place that fails, nasty surprises are inevitable… Not a lot can get completed by tantrums or by a false sense of entitlement.

Many Nigerians expertise visa refusal every day. They don’t want the Nationwide Safety Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to invoke hell in opposition to any nation to make the purpose.

Sadly, Ribadu’s fury after the Canadian Excessive Fee refused visas to Chief of Defence Employees Basic Christopher Musa and different officers for the winter Invictus Video games in Vancouver Whistler, was directed at an unlikely goal. Canada could be criticised for a lot of issues, however Ottawa’s faults don’t embrace consular meanness.

Within the final 5 years, Canada has been the third-biggest vacation spot for Nigerian immigrants, particularly college students, after the US and the UK. A number of sources, together with reviews by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), recommend that Canada, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates have comparatively pleasant visa insurance policies for Africans.

Schengen Refusals

If Ribadu wants any concept of what a visa hell seems like, he ought to have a look at Europe, particularly the Schengen space. In keeping with a BusinessDay report, Nigeria ranked among the many high 5 international locations globally for Schengen visa refusals between 2022 and 2023.

Nigerian candidates submitted 86,815 requests three years in the past, with 39,189 rejected — a forty five.1 per cent refusal price. By 2023, the variety of functions had elevated to 105,926, however 42,920 have been denied, reflecting a barely decrease rejection price of 40.8 per cent. On the price at which President Donald Trump goes, earlier than later, the US would possibly upstage Schengen because the world’s meanest visa gateway.

There’ll hardly be anybody to talk up for the casualties. When unusual residents are denied visas, they need to deserve it, proper? However Basic Musa is just not an unusual citizen. He’s the jewel of Nigeria’s navy high brass and may obtain full consular courtesies on an excellent day with no fuss.

What Occurred?

So, what occurred? Why did the Canadian Excessive Fee refuse to difficulty visas to Basic Musa and the delegation of navy officers for the Invictus Video games? Let’s dial again.

A few years in the past, residents didn’t want visas to go to different Commonwealth international locations, not less than for the primary 60 days.

Even by 1962, when many of those international locations imposed visa necessities on account of immigration pressures, a number of, together with Canada, maintained visa-free insurance policies longer than most. It nonetheless maintains a visa-free coverage for a number of Commonwealth international locations, whereas Britain has a for much longer listing of visa exemptions for some Commonwealth international locations, together with Malawi and Botswana.

A couple of days after Ribadu requested the Canadian Excessive Fee to “go to hell” — an expression which may have shocked even the hosts of hell’s consular providers — it got here to mild that the refusal might have had extra to do with the tardiness of a desk officer on the military’s protocol division than with the Canadian Excessive Fee in Abuja.

Africa Talks the Discuss

At present, even intra-African journey is an enormous wrestle for Nigerian passport holders, regardless of all of the discuss by AU about visas on arrival. Due to the shameful conduct of some desperadoes who’ve elevated the chance issue of the inexperienced passport and successive irresponsible governments which have plunged the nation into the present mess, travelling with a Nigerian passport is just not simple.

If the nation’s standing has moved from visa-on-arrival as much as the early Seventies in lots of Commonwealth (and even non-Commonwealth) international locations, to a standing of cautious admission and even outright hostility towards rating authorities officers, Ribadu doesn’t have to invoke hell. It’s a metaphor that painfully reminds us of our odyssey.  Why was a four-star basic within the Nigerian military denied a visa in a fashion that has became a avenue brawl?

Cracks Inside

A couple of days after Ribadu requested the Canadian Excessive Fee to “go to hell” — an expression which may have shocked even the hosts of hell’s consular providers — it got here to mild that the refusal might have had extra to do with the tardiness of a desk officer on the military’s protocol division than with the Canadian Excessive Fee in Abuja.

The Nation newspaper quoted competent sources as saying that the Military failed to connect the observe verbale from the Ministry of Overseas Affairs that ought to have accompanied the visa functions.

If that’s right – and the navy authorities haven’t denied the report – how was that Canada’s fault? The query nonetheless must be requested: How did 14 of the 21 troopers enrolled get visas when the officers and delegation chief couldn’t be processed?

Calm Down…

Ribadu isn’t just one other authorities official. He can be justified in feeling scorned a couple of perceived diplomatic slight on Nigeria’s contingent, even when it was a contingent attending the Munich beer competition. However his workplace calls for a sober and dignified response, not the kind of factor Idi-Amin might need mentioned on the eve of evicting hundreds of Asians from Uganda.

The report of official tardiness was sobering sufficient, however the goal was no much less puzzling. In fact, Prince Harry’s good concept of the Invictus is to provide wounded servicemen and veterans an opportunity to attach and bond with others as they remind us of their sacrifices for our security and safety, and rediscover which means in a shared humanity. However since its begin in 2014, Invictus has been a summer time recreation.

…it defies widespread sense that Nigeria’s high safety adviser would dramatise a matter effectively inside his attain to analyze and take remedial steps, if vital. Ribadu neither did himself nor Basic Musa any favours by his intemperate remarks. He gave unusual people one thing to jeer about and made the nation look ridiculous.

Their Winter Video games

If the organisers determined to increase it to the winter to incorporate adaptive sports activities, similar to alpine snowboarding, Nordic snowboarding, skeleton and wheelchair curling, amongst others – hardly core Nigerian sports activities – that’s truthful sufficient. But, how any of those sports activities severely concern Nigeria when solely 15 African international locations have participated within the Winter Olympics in 58 years between 1960 and 2022, and of this quantity, solely seven have completed so greater than as soon as, is one other matter.

Winter is just not our factor. The urgency of the duty at residence – a cussed rise within the wave of insurgency within the North-East and North-West, regardless of reported features in some areas – requires the complete consideration of the navy’s high command. Basic Musa ought to have delegated attendance.

How Not To Be Offended

Managing the refusal was no much less scandalous. If a bunch of secondary faculty college students on a Sudoku exhibition tour to Kathmandu was refused visas and determined to moan about it on TikTok, I can perceive that.

However it defies widespread sense that Nigeria’s high safety adviser would dramatise a matter effectively inside his attain to analyze and take remedial steps, if vital. Ribadu neither did himself nor Basic Musa any favours by his intemperate remarks. He gave unusual people one thing to jeer about and made the nation look ridiculous.

Can’t Keep Down

Idiots might have introduced the nation to its knees, down from a spot the place Africa, the Commonwealth, and the remainder of the world regarded as much as us and our passport ranked among the many most revered. However nothing says we should keep there.

The job at hand is to dig us out of that gap, a major level Ribadu made however sadly misplaced in his match of anger. Trendy consular diplomacy contains, amongst different issues, a well timed, trusted, and safe data-sharing system that provides events to a transaction affordable consolation. The place that fails, nasty surprises are inevitable.

Not a lot can get completed by tantrums or by a false sense of entitlement.

Azu Ishiekwene is the Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP and writer of the brand new guide, Writing for Media and Monetising It.