BY Ayodele Oluwafemi
The federal government has inaugurated a committee for the implementation of the ‘Pulaku’ initiative.
“Pulaku” is a Fulani word that means “to be shy”.
The non-kinetic initiative was set up by the President Bola Tinubu administration to address the root causes of insurgency, banditry, and poverty in the northern region.
In July 2023, Vice-President Kashim Shettima said the military alone cannot solve the crisis in the north-western region, adding that both kinetic and non-kinetic measures are needed.
“In the next couple of weeks, we will unveil the Pulaku solution, which will address the grievances and social exclusion of our Fulbe cousins in the north-west and also address the root causes of all the banditry and insurgency in the nation,” Shettima had said.
Sokoto, Kebbi, Benue, Katsina, Zamfara, Niger, and Kaduna are the states to benefit from the initiative.
On Tuesday, Shettima inaugurated the committee, which is chaired by Ahmed Dangiwa, minister of housing and urban development.
Other members are Abubakar Kyari, the minister of agriculture and food security; representatives of the seven state governors; chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); director-general of Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP); the director general of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA); Dangote Group and BUA Group.
Speaking during the inauguration, Shettima said the Pulako initiative is “a national commitment to confront a threat that has fuelled distrust and conflicts within communities and across the boundaries of our federation”.
The vice-president said the initiative was not designed to compensate a particular group or region, and the selected states were deliberately chosen.
“The selection of these states is a deliberate and strategic approach. The aim is to generate ripple effects that will not only revitalize communities but also lay the groundwork for a more inclusive and cohesive Nigeria,” Shettima was quoted by Stanley Nkwocha, his media aide, as saying.
“This is not merely a response; it is a call to action. We are here because each of our programmes or policies will falter unless we get to the root of the dysfunctions we have inherited.
“This non-kinetic solution is not designed to compensate any particular group or region. Therefore, we must cast aside any notion of divisive regionalism and see the Pulaku initiative for what it truly is — a practical response to a shared challenge.
“Let our legacy be measured not in the structures we build but in the lives we uplift, the unity we restore, and the collective strength of a nation rising above its challenges.”
The governors present at the inauguration were Hyacinth Alia of Benue, Uba Sani of Kaduna, Mohammed Bago of Niger, Nasir Idris of Kebbi, Dikko Radda of Katsina, and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara.”
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