Father Ositadimma Amakeze is a man of many parts. From his station at St. Matthew’s Amawbia in Awka Diocese of Anambra, he has sprouted many initiatives and projects, some in the arts (Raise #1kNewReadersYearly campaign) and others within the Catholic Church, one of which is being founder of Young Women and Men Creative Association.

However, spurred on by the famous Chinese proverb: ‘The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now,’ he is dedicating his time to the #1kNewTreesYearly campaign, which has in recent years saw the planting of 1,000 new tress every year in communities in the Southeast region.

On what is driving his passion, he says: “There is too much hunger just because we do not farm, at least subsistence farming and plant trees.

“If we all plant trees, especially fruit trees and edible plants, we would eat healthy and wealthier. I have worked in villages mostly, and I have seen that this campaign changes everything in the first year at each new location.”

The cleric and author, who describes himself as a retired artist who still paints with words, and a ‘wordadventurist’ who mines the ancient epistemic walls of wisdom in Igbo proverbs and philosophy, noted that “unless we plant trees intentionally and consciously, when we build houses and modernization creeps in, we will be cutting down the trees inherited from nature and the ones our forefathers planted.

“So, I am seriously worried of what the environment will look like when we cut off all the trees. In the villages where I have worked and where I’m now in Anambra State, you see people cutting trees to build houses. If this is not controlled, we may have what I call concrete jungle on our hands, where you see new sites springing up and paved with interlocks, which is very good but with no garden in our homes and mansions.

“That is my passion. We have planted a lot of palm trees in schools. We are also planting trees to check erosion. My concern is even if you are living in township, make plans to plant trees for shed, for nutrition, for purified air in your environment and to maintain the ecosystem. I have given trees out to people who got first, second and third positions in schools to plant as a commemoration of their feat, which will stand as a legacy for the kids.

“Those in the village think when we cut all the trees, we are progressing. Last year, I planted many trees of bitter kola and kolanuts, I once joked with my people that if we don’t take these things serious, the people who sell kolanuts to us will one day refuse to sell, we may begin to eat the seed of pear or use it for prayers in the absence of kolanuts. I am conscious about that and spreading the awareness in communities around me,” he told The Guardian yesterday.