Lagos urges councils to mobilise residents for exercises

The Lagos State Government has urged the local government areas and the community development associations in the state to mobilise residents for fitness walk, at least once in a month.

The government said doing so would keep people fit and ensured the good health of residents of the state.

The Commissioner for Rural Development, Cornelius Ojelabi, said this during a ‘walk for fitness’ exercise on Saturday in the Lekki area of the state.

Ojelabi, who participated in the walk with over 400 rural dwellers of the area, said the quarterly programme of the Lagos State Ministry of Rural Development was aimed at encouraging rural dwellers to engage in exercises to keep fit and healthy.

The five-kilometre walk took off from the New Era Youth Camp and terminated at the Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area where health talks were delivered to the participants.

Ojelabi said, “Those in the urban areas have gyms to do some exercises, but many people in the rural areas don’t have such luxury. We all have the same body chemistry and so we need to do exercises to be fit.

“This walk began in Badagry early this year. Now, we want to ensure that the message is carried to the grassroots. The local government areas and the community development associations have been mandated to mobilise their people for fitness walk on monthly basis.”

Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Health, Dr. Yewande Adeshina, said engaging in regular exercises would help the heart beat faster and keep the body in shape.

Adeshina, who was represented by Dr. Mazeedat Erinosho of the Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board, said, “We noticed that people in these areas don’t have time for exercises; we came here to create awareness. We need to imbibe the culture of exercise in our children. Obesity in children is on the increase because of lack of exercise.”

Special Adviser to the Governor on Rural Development, Babatunde Hunpe, appealed to rural dwellers to engage in regular exercise, saying that such practice would keep them fit and reduce dependence on drugs.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Olatunde Agoro, said the walk was beneficial to all the participants and it would keep them healthy, adding that the state government expected the councils to take over the exercise and ensure that residents engaged in it to keep fit.