Walk for Health: UNILORIN-ASUU members applaud leadership
Members of the University of Ilorin Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) have appreciated the Union’s leadership for organising a keep fit exercise for them.
The exercise tagged “Walk for Health”, which was held at the University Stadium penultimate weekend, included free medical check of visual signs; BP, PR, Temperature; SPO; Fasting blood glucose; Weight and height for MBI circulation; table tennis, Chess, Scrabble and Ayo Olopon among others.
In their separate remarks, former chairmen who also participated along with other prominent ASUU leaders and members said it was a well-planned event and urged the Union to make it a regular event to assist members in checking their health status after their official duties.
Prof. Rasheed Abiodun Adeoye, a former ASUU Chairman, also agreed that the event “is fantastic, fantastic, fantastic. I encourage all members of staff not only academics but every individual to key in. It is their life because exercise prolongs health and it prolongs life. I am giving kudos to the ASUU leadership for putting these together.”
Prof. Usman Adebimpe Raheem, who is also a former Chairman of the Union and the current Director, Technical and Entrepreneurship Centre ( TEC), said, “It is a fantastic event. It is very important, it is unfortunate that our union did not have this kind of organised health event for a long time. Now we are coming up with it. It is not supposed to be episodic but rather it should be continuous, if it can not be every week at least once a month will do for us”.
On his part, the immediate past Chairman of UNILORIN ASUU, Prof. Saliu Ajao, said, “The truth is that every member of the staff not only academic, every individual needs this thing in their lives because exercise prolongs health and lives. It makes you more fit. The icing on the cake is the fact that there is a medical check-up for individuals that will help them to know their health status. Kudos to ASUU for putting this together, it’s fantastic”.
“The truth is that every administration will be confronted with different challenges. The challenges of my time are more focused on getting the entire chapter to be more unified, especially coming from our history, and this is presently, we discover that more of our colleagues are given to ill health and death as a result of stress and a lot of that. So there is a need to put more of these things together for people to stay healthy.
Narrating her experience, Mrs Monica Falere of the Department of Nursing Sciences, said that the programme was interactive, interesting, and funny, hoping that it will be sustained.
She said, “If more programmes like this can be organised more often it will be better for everybody”.
She, however, urged members to do regular check-ups to be healthier, eat healthy food, balanced diet, and once in a while, take a walk.
Dr Babalola Ayo of the Faculty of Environmental Science, Department of Surveying, disclosed that the walk is revealing, and interesting and has strengthened them further.
“It is giving us the strength to face the new session. Can we see in any way it has motivated the members? The push is there already and hope we advocate for more of this so that we will be able to do it regularly. I am impressed with the test conducted after the exercise and it is motivating”, she added.
Dr Mubaraq Adekilekun of the Faculty of Law described the event as a wonderful one and a long overdue one, explaining that he was very happy and impressed seeing different facilities provided by the Union for staff to do their medical checkups, which is very important.
He advised staff to do their medical check-up and eat balanced diets for them to stay healthy.
Mrs Adeniyi Folakemi commended the Union for the various programmes and also encouraged them to continue the good work.
Dr Tinuke of the Faculty of Communication and Information Science, said, “I found it as a rewarding exercise because it allows us to exercise our body and stay healthy. It is a good initiative from ASUU and we appreciate their efforts for this improvement.
Dr Saudat Salah Abdulbaqi of the Department of Mass Communication, who said that the exercise is “truly walking for health”, advised staff to always take their health as their primary priority. She, however, urged the organisers to make it a regular affair for them to be aware of their health status.
Dr Rofiat Dauda Olajide of the Faculty of Education said that it was a beautiful event, adding that though a new development, it is a great initiative from the ASUU chairperson.
“It is a welcome development. We all enjoyed it. The union should sustain it because people do not bother about their health. But health is wealth. Having something like this around will create awareness for people to attend to their health very well”, she added.
The Chairman of the Union, Dr Alex Akanmu, said that the “Walk for Health” event was put in place to assist members in addressing their health challenges.
While appreciating all for accepting to be part of the event, Dr Akanmu thanked committee members for a job well done despite the challenges, stating that the union appreciated them more.
He, therefore urged members to look out for other packages put in place by his administration.
About 100 members of the Union participated in the general keep fit exercise and other activities put in place for the event.