Major-General Rogers Nicholas is the Commander, Special Task Force Operation Safe Heaven (OPSH), a multi-security task force maintaining peace in Plateau and parts of Bauchi states. Before his appointment as the 9th Commander of OPSH, he was the Chief of Civil-Military Affairs at the Army Headquarters, Abuja. In this interview with MUSA UMAR BOLOGI, he speaks on the challenges of his new job and his plans to improve on peace on the Plateau.
What are your plans for the new assignment?
Before I came there were issues of communal problems, and silent killings in some local government areas in the state. When I came in I quickly went round to all the flashpoint areas to see things for myself. I observed that the major problem is lack of communication, lack of understanding, and lack of confidence and trust, and apprehension among the people. So, I decided that we have to start bridging those caps between the people. To achieve this, we organised town hall meetings in all the communities.
I segregated the state to the three senatorial zones. Within each zone we have meetings with all community leaders, youth organisations, women groups, etc. We also have comprehensive meetings with stakeholders at the state level.
At all our meetings, I usually emphasize that people shouldn’t allow issues of tribe, religion, or resource control to come between them.
How do you intent bring to bear the experience from your former job?
It is the same thing I am doing here. We are trying to bring people together and make them understand the need leave in peace. We are sensitizing people that this is their place, and that they are the same Nigerians; the same people worshiping the same God. Therefore, they should live peacefully as Nigerians. There must be crisis between people or families, but people must sit down to talk. And whatever the situation they can overcome it.
How do you intend to improve on the operational environment you met?
Plateau is bordered by many states, and some of the states have their security challenges. I have given a marching order to all the sector commanders to carryout clearance operations in all crisis area. Presently, stop and search operation is going on in many places, and reports have shown that some of the criminals are going underground. We have made many arrests, and recovered weapons and drugs from the criminals. We have handover the criminals to the Nigerian Police for prosecution.
I have also warned the troops against human right violations. We must operate within the laws; more importantly, within the rules of engagement of the force.
However, a situation where some miscreants will come up and say they don’t want us in their community is not acceptable. These are criminal elements who want to use the opportunity to perpetuate crimes, and we will not allow them. It is either they leave the community or work within the law. We must perform our constitutional role and nobody can prevent us. We must show robustness where ever we are operating, even though we must cooperate with the people.
How reachable is OPSH to members of the community?
We have set up security committees within the sectors and sub-sectors, and in each local government area. There is communication flow from sub-sector to sector, and lastly to the headquarters. So, we are always in touch with members of the communities. We have weekly, monthly and quarterly security meetings, so that we interact regularly on issues.
I have also given the sector commanders a mandate to visit check points regularly, and to interact with the people of the communities, in order to generate information.
What are your challenges in the job?
Our mandate is to restore peace in the Plateau, and we are achieving it. Although we have some challenges, they are not unsurmountable.
One major challenge is the large number of unemployed youth, who have become tools for crisis.
There is also the problem of intimidation, which has prevented people from passing information to security agencies.
Very soon we will unveil a people-centric dialogue and negotiation plan. This plan will reduce crisis drastically in the Plateau.
What is your message to the people of Plateau state?
It is the duty of everybody in the state to understand that peace is importance to the socio-economic development of the state and the people living in it. So, let’s do away with hatred, and allow peace to dwell in our minds.
