Department of Church and Society, CSN

In order to mitigate the effects of climate change, the Justice, Development, and Peace Commission (JDPC) Abuja, a Catholic Church organization, has donated an additional 10,000 economic tree saplings in Abuja and its surroundings.

While overseeing the distribution on 11^th-10-2023, Sir Josephat Abaagu, Chairman of the JDPC, stated that the action was in accordance with the order of Abuja’s Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama.

He said that the instruction came from Pope Francis’ environmental preservation message.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Kaigama ordered all catholic institutions and parishes in Abuja to plant at least 10 trees as a means of preserving and safeguarding the environment.

According to Abaagu, the trees grew high-quality cashews, oranges, gigantic guavas, and mangoes of different types and varieties.

He said that within four months the trees, which were a gift from Catholic Relief Service (CRS), will protect the environment, generate cash, and also yield food. Every catholic organization and parish in the FCT, according to the chairman, would receive the plants.

“We are confident that, in the end, we will benefit humanity, reforestation, and all the other benefits that planting trees is intended to bring to our society.

Abaagu asked the deanery coordinators to oversee the initiative and guarantee compliance in order to reap the most rewards. He praised CRS for the action and noted that it will significantly help to fight hunger, combat poverty, and protect the environment.

Rev. Fr. Solomon Uko, the commission’s executive director, also spoke and promised that his church, Holy Ghost church Kpeyegyi, would plant 50 trees. He believes that trees are crucial to the ecology. “I appreciate everyone who will be helping with the planting, as well as the distributors of these three.

He prayed, “And we pray that while you do so, God will bless the work of our hands and give us success.

Additionally, Timothy Ejeh, director of programs for JDPC, said that the organization had previously distributed 1,000 tree seedlings that CAFOD had contributed. He claimed that Abuja would surpass the goal of planting 20,000 trees thanks to the 10,000 tree seedlings supplied by CRS and the Archbishop’s order of 10 plants for each catholic institution. He pleaded with parishes, chaplaincies, and pastoral areas to graciously plant and care for the special trees that had been provided to them without charge.

Speaking on behalf of other coordinators, Mr. George Odoh, the Gwagwalada Deanery Coordinator, promised to make sure that all the trees are planted and cared for. We shall make sure, by God’s grace, that the numerous trees that are provided to us are planted in our deaneries.

“I also believe that, with God’s help, we will work diligently to make sure that, if not all, at least the majority of them will live, so that we can accomplish the goal. He added, “May the good Lord bless us all, amen. I want to thank you for giving me the honor.”