Make health walk (MTN-Walka-Thon), a regular feature – Iddrisu

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Wa (U/W), Dec. 3, GNA – Mr. Iddrisu Bediako Ahmed, the Upper West Regional Director of the National Sports Authority (NSA) has called on MTN, and its partners, Suncity Radio to make the annual health walk programme a regular feature on their calendar.

He said the exercise would bring health benefits to Ghanaians.

Mr Ahmed, popularly known in sporting circles as ‘Polo,’ made the call at the closing session of the 4th annual savanna festival, dubbed: ‘MTN – Savana Fest, 2015,’ held in Wa, in the Upper West Regional capital.

He said in view of the enormous revitalization the event brings to participants, it also helps to improve their health status and contribute positively to community and national development through increased productivity and urged the organizers to organise the programme monthly or quarterly.

‘I believe MTN and its partners have the ability to organize the event on a more regular basis than the current yearly activity, in order to make a positive impact on the people and the nation’s economy,’ Polo noted.

The Regional NSA Boss was however, full of praise for MTN and Suncity Radio, for championing a worthy cause and urged other corporate institutions to support and make the programme more regular.

‘Let’s make the slogan; ‘A healthy people make a wealthy nation,’ more practicable and achievable by contributing our widows’ mite to augment the efforts of MTN and Suncity Radio,’ he said.

People from all walks of life participated in the walk through some principal streets of Wa, and later took part in aerobic exercises.

A cross section of the participants interviewed, commended MTN for bringing some spice into their lives by this annual event and urged them (MTN) and other stakeholders to keep it up.

Some of them said, the inception of the event, four years ago, has helped them to develop the habit of exercising regularly.

‘I used to pick taxis to and from my shop which is about 800 meters away from my home, but for the past one year, I have been doing this on foot, thanks to MTN health walk programme! I have saved a lot of money to improve my business and I feel smarter now,’ said an obese female trader, who declined to mention her name.

The participants were generally of the view that though a worthy and a laudable initiative, MTN could still do better by providing enough souvenirs to motivate more people to show interest in the programme.

The MTN-Walka-Thon is one of three major activities organized annually by MTN and Suncity Radio to celebrate the loyalty of the people in the savanna region of Ghana, for patronising their products, hence the tag, ‘MTN – Savana Fest’.

The month long celebration was crowned with the Wa edition of the inter – community soccer gala competition, which was won by the Dokpong community.

GNA

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