The Doctoral Students of the Institute of Governance and Development Studies, Nasarawa State University on Thursday visited Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH) as part of their study tour to Plateau State.
Welcoming the students to Operation SAFE HAVEN Joint Operations Area, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division Nigerian Army and Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN, Major General Folusho Oyinlola, extolled the “significant role of academic institutions to formulation of policies that could sustain internal security management and provide platforms for peace building as well as national integration.”
General Oyinlola described the theme of the visit, “Internal Security Management, Sustainable Peacebuilding and National Integration: The Plateau State Experience” as apt and resonates with the mandate of OPSH.
Oyinlola maintained that the study visit underscores the importance of civil-military relations to foster mutual understanding and development, adding that sustainable peace could only be achieved through the support of knowledge-based institutions as they help create “framework that would enhance security agencies’ operational capacity to dealing with security threats.”
The Commander disclosed that “the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) values intelligent discourse, and as such would continue to provide avenues for interactions with scholars on ways to improve national security in a multi-agency environment.”
General Oyinlola thanked the Institute of Governance and Development Studies, Nasarawa State University for choosing OPSH for the study visit, tasking the Doctoral Students “to carefully draft their reports to include recommendations for improving national security and encourage peaceful living.”
The Team Leader and Director, Institute of Governance and Development Studies, Nasarawa State University, Professor Andrew Zamani, described the operations brief as evidence-based, resonating with the standards of the academic community.
Assuring that the Institute would escalate the advocacy for peace and civil-military relations toward improving internal security management, the Team Leader revealed that the institute will continue to provide intellectual resources in enhancement of national security.
Delivering the vote of thanks, one of the students, Brigadier General Emmanuel Okoloagu, thanked OPSH for the warm reception, and said students would put lessons learnt into good use for the improvement of the country’s security system.
Highlights of the study visit include operations brief, interactive session, presentation of souvenirs, signing of visitors’ book and group photograph.
