By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
In a greening drive in the Federal Capital Territory, the FCD Administration in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Abuja of Deluex and some Non Governmental Organizations, NGOs, have initiated a beautification and environmental preservation strategy by planing thousand trees exercise in Katampe District in the Capital City
At the Flag- off of the exercise at the Patrick Yakowa Street, in Katampe Extension, Director of Parks and Recreation Department, Isaiah Ukpana disclosed that there are about 30 streets in the District to be planted with the trees, as part of its tree planting effort across three selected Districts, and Katampe is one of such.
He disclosed that the tree seedlings are donations from partnership with a lot of organisations like the Rotary Club Purple Hands, Astrazenica and Parks Association and other NGOs.
According to him, there is a lot of professionalism going into the exercise, to ensure that selected trees are those that their roots will not damage underground infrastructure within the green verge.
Concerning the maintenance and sustainability of the project, he said: “On our own part, we are doing to do a lot of watering, to make sure that these trees during the dry season can still survive.”
“We are hoping to plant about 6,000 trees here ( Katampe District). In this District some roads have been planted earlier, and we have about 30 streets to be planted with trees, in the next few years, this environment will change. Because, tree planting is an environmentally friendly activity, which every citizen should nature.”
“Trees give a good land mark to a community, purifies the environment, helps to control erosion. To this extent, it is important for us (stakeholders) to own the trees. We encourage residents of this neighbourhood to do so”, he stressed.
President, Rotary Club of Abuja Deluxe, Brenda Max-Nduaguibe, noted that the Club plant trees as a strategy to contribute to sustain the environment, which is one of its seven areas of focus this year.
Nduaguibe said Rotary is partnering with an NGO, Purple Hands Initiative and FCTA’s Department of Parks and Recreation to plant 722 trees in the whole of Patrick Yakowa Street in Katampe Extension, as its contribution to support the government and residents in the area and humanity at large.
Also, Head of Astrazenica Pharmaceutical Company, Stephen Awoicho, noted that the company is donating five hundred seedlings in support of tree planting in FCT.
