The Management of Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) says exercising the body regularly helps in reducing health challenges and increases human productivity.
The FCTA Permanent Secretary, Babatope Ajakaiye, represented by Amina Abubakar, Director, Human Resources, made the assertion on Saturday at the third inauguration of Steering Committee of the authority’s Jogging Exercise in Abuja.
According to him, a physically fit workforce hardly slumps and dies.
“Most times you hear that people fall and die in their offices or at airports, you hear of people slumping and dying all the time.
“It is because many people don’t exercise their bodies and take care of themselves medically, that is why FCTA has decided to be organising this monthly exercise for all its members of staff.
“The management is very much interested in the exercise because the aim is to encourage the entire staff to keep fit and know their health status by exercising,” he said.
Ajakaiye said the FCTA management had promised to sustain the exercise through the committee.
Similarly,  Acting Executive Secretary, FCT Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Mathew Ashikeni, said the significance of exercise to the workforce in the territory was enormous.
“For civil servants to be productive and be at their best, they have to be physically fit. It is not only the military or para-military that need exercise.
“Civil servants put in a lot of energy and time in their work, so, an exercise like this will put them in the right frame of mind at work.
“Jogging and other related exercises also help someone physically, psychologically and socially so that when you go to your office, you’ll put in your best without stress,” he said.
“Physical exercises help against diseases like hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetics and obesity. They will be things of the past with regular exercise.
“Workers in FCT will be healthier and give the best of services to the people in the territory and Nigeria as a whole.
“As a medical doctor, I recommend this for everybody. In fact, there should be more of this type of exercise monthly so that we can be physically fit,” he said.
Also, Dilichukwu Onyedinma, Acting Director of Sports, FCTA, said the Minister, Muhammad Bello and the Permanent Secretary were passionate about a fit and strong workforce in the territory.
“The current FCTA management, headed by the minister felt that the workforce needs to be strong.
“It is for that reason that they are using sports to have a strong and healthy FCTA so that staff can deliver and be able to do what they are supposed to do effectively.
“With sick people, you can’t get a good result from any task given to them. We want to maintain productive workforce and that is what we are working towards,” she said.
Onyedinma added that participating in sports was not only for healthy living but could also help people economically.
“Sport does not stop at making one healthy. Exercise can help one to be economically empowered in terms of competition, it also helps in self-defence against physical attack.’
The director added that given the necessary support of the minister, the authority’s staff would start participating in annual Federation of Public Service Games (FEPSGA).
“Now, we are asking for that because the FCTA staff is now interested in taking part in FEPSGA. And as we have asked, may be the minister will grant us,” he said.
Tidesports source gathered   new  Chairman of the new Steering Committee of FCTA Jogging Exercise, is Dr Funsho Oba, supported by representatives of departments and agencies in the territory is Dr. Funsho Oba.