FCTA, Rotary, others take tree planting campaign to Katampe

In furtherance to reinvigorated Abuja greening drive, the FCT Department of Parks and Recreation, in collaboration with Rotary Club of Abuja Deluxe and other Non Governmental Organizations has commenced planting of six thousand trees in Katampe District of Abuja, the nation’s capital city, as a strategy to beautifying and saving the environment.

Flagging off the exercise at the Patrick Yakowa Street, in Katampe Extension, Director of Parks and Recreation Department, Isaiah Ukpana said 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, which Katampe is the last.

He disclosed that the trees were supplied through partnership with a lot of organisations, adding that for instance in Katampe District, we have, Rotary Club Purple Hands, Astrazenica and Parks Association amongst 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.

In terms of maintenance and sustainability of the project, “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,” he said.

“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.

On her part, President, Rotary Club of Abuja Deluxe, Brenda Max-Nduaguibe, noted that the Club plant trees as a strategy to sustainably contribute to saving 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.

Similarly, Head of a Astrazenica, a Pharmaceutical Company, Stephen Awoicho, noted that the company is donating five hundred seedlings, in support of tree planting in FCT.