By Sebastian Bogere
Gulu, (UG):- The Environmental department of the Acholi Social Reconstruction Agenda dupped “Roco Paco” under a Convocation called “Gurre me Pong-dwongo”, an initiative to reconstruct the broken Acholi Society has embarked on a plan to plant at least 1.5 million acres of trees in the Acholi Sub-region in a move to restore the drastically lost forest cover to charcoal, log and timber business.
‘Rocco Paco’ is an Acholi phrase translated to English as “Rebuilding Home” that was masterminded by Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo Chigamoi and Dr Olara Otunu (former UPC) chairman in December 2023 at Sir Samuel Baker School in Gulu City- meeting cliched ‘Gurre me Pong-dwongo’.
The development was unveiled during a recent joint press conference on (Monday, December 2, 2024) at ‘Rocco Paco’ Offices in Gulu City and another connected online from Nakasero (Kampala) in preparation for the second edition of the ‘Gurre me Pong-dwongo’ convocation in Restore Leadership High School on December 27-29, 2024.
Council Dickson Langoya alias (CD Langoya) a Forest Scientist(forester) and the Chairperson in charge of the environment of Roco Paco Initiative under the sub-section of tree planting revealed that it is a ten-year plan to restore forest cover in the Sub-region that focuses on planting up to at least 10 million seedlings.
Langoya explained that under the plan, they intend to adopt the use of households who shall cultivate trees as outgrowers targeting up to 40,000 households in all the districts of Acholi.
“We have strategically written down a 10-year plan of how we can restore the drastically destroyed forest cover of the Acholi Sub-region, and our focus is mainly on the fruit trees that profit us financially” revealed Langoya.
He further added that they would also emphasize planting local fruit trees as guavas, lemon/oranges, mangoes, and jack fruits along with other exotic trees.
Prof Sam Kinyera Obwoya, the Executive Director of Rocco Paco Agenda stated that restoration of the forest cover is very paramount at a time of changing weather patterns.
Professor Kinyera, who was a senior Lecturer at Kyambogo University (Kampala) explained that tree planting is necessary to fix that gap caused by weather that has negatively impacted on agriculture, soil fertility and productivity.
Prof. Kinyera added that trees shall also help reconnect the ecosystem in that it communicates with mother nature and attracts all living organisms including plants, animals and aquatics- that some are already going to.
Dr. Olara Otunu, the Co-Chairperson of the Roco Paco movement decries the rate at which the forest and vegetation cover is fast disappearing because of the lucrative commercial Charcoal business in spite of the Presidential Executive Orders banning illegal charcoal business in northern Uganda.
Dr. Otunu however challenged the Acholi society to embrace tree planting in order to address the apparent problem of fast-looming desertification.
“Let individually plant 10 trees, six (06) trees or eight (08) trees to help counteract the effects of the changing weather patterns,” said Otunu, adding that the protection of the environment is everyone’s responsibility, but it requires enthusiasm in order to achieve it.
Under the Rocco Paco movement, environmental restoration is agenda number five which calls for complete activism. The other agendas include reviving Education, improving Agricultural Productivity to fight food insecurity, fighting poverty, and reviving Culture and social strata among others.
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