James Sowole in Abeokuta

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday led walk to commemorate the World Diabetes Day.

The walk, which lasted for about 15 minutes covering over three meters from inside his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) and back home, was held to sensitise Nigerians to embrace physical exercise to check the growing scourge of diabetes.

The former president, who is a diabetic patient himself of over 40 years, was joined in the walk by medical personnel, security operatives from the police and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) as well as members National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The Executive Director of Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation, Dr Olalekan Makinde, said that the former president has with the brisk 15 minutes walk passed across the message that Nigerians must embrace healthy living, most especially physical exercise to put diabetes at bay. 

Makinde said: “Just like the almost 90-year old former President Olusegun Obasanjo has just shown us with his about 15 minutes brisk walk covering over three metres, what we are just trying to tell Nigerians is that they must walk, engage in physical exercise to keep fit. 

“Diabetes is one of the most impactive diseases that one can have due to sedentary and all kinds of unhealthy living. People are always in the vehicles, sitting down for hours in the office with air conditioners, jumping from vehicles to bikes. 

“But we are saying that we must engage in physical exercise, we must avoid junk foods. Nigeria is one of the countries with lowest life expectancy and one of the things responsible for this aside poverty is our unhealthy living, that is what our father, Baba Obasanjo at 90 is saying that we must do away with. 

“The former president is urging us all to inculcate physical exercise and before the former President participated in this walk he had done one for about 30 minutes or one hour and Baba is still eager to go for more

Similarly, Dr Adedeji Otukoya, an endocrinologist with Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, who was also part of the walk, called for people to modify their lifestyle and be ready to drop their cars once in a while to exercise their bodies.

 Otukoya said that the truth is that there has been a surge in the number of people battling diabetes largely due to unhealthy life style, saying that there is need for Nigerians to prioritize walking and engaging in activities to exercise their muscles.

The Medical Officer in charge of Medical Directorate of Ogun State Police Command, Dr Ihegboro Minachiso, also highlighted the importance of physical exercise towards achieving healthy living.

Minachiso, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, stated that “Many of us will always pray that we don’t want to die yet we will refuse to do some of those things that are essential to keeping our health in shape like the three meter dash that we just did. 

“We can see each of us sweating, so we all must borrow a leaf from former President Obasanjo and prioritise exercise, particularly brisk walk to keep fit and healthy. Medication is good but lifestyle modifications is the best to solve some of the medical problems that we have.” 

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