Nation-buiding goes hand-in-hand with a healthy body and mind, says the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of Tema, Mr. Felix Mensah Nii Annan-La, as he led a health walk in Tema.
The Walk was organized by the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) to imbibe in the people of Tema the need to exercise as a prerequisite to Nation-buiding.
“We need strong men and women to build Tema. We need to organise such walks from time to time so that we will be healthy to build the Metropolis,” He said.
He advised the people to always make themselves available whenever the TMA organized such programmes, saying that “this is not a mere show off, because for us to build a healthy nation, we need Tema people to be strong enough to be able to help the TMA.”
He observed that the exercise was also to create an awareness about the Tema Restoration Agenda which he said would be launched soon.
He was grateful to all those who participated, particularly the first year Senior High students, saying, “It shows that whatever the President, Nana Addo-Danquah Akufo Addo has done for them, they appreciate.”
He assured the President of the Republic that “we are with him and whatever he is doing, Tema is solidly behind him” and observed that the Tema Restoration Agenda was not for TMA alone; “it is for the whole Tema, so everybody should embrace it so that together we restore Tema to its past glory.”
He added that, “If you are doing something and you don’t accept the thing as your own, you don’t involve yourself. Once you own the city it means you will help to promote its progress.”
The Tema Metropolitan Coordinating Director (MCD), Mr. Samuel Donkor, observed that apart from the health purposes of the exercise and its ability to create awareness for the Tema Restoration Agenda, the Walk was also to “foster unity among citizens of the Metropolis.”
He said the Tema Restoration Agenda was necessary because the once beautiful and orderly city had now been destroyed with ‘containers’ and kiosks and therefore prayed everybody to assist the Metropolis to achieve this agenda.
The Assemblyman for the Horticulture Electoral Area, Mr. Richard Anning, observed the success of the Walk by pointing to the large numbers that turned out to participate. saying, “I think the message is clear; Tema really has to revisit its past glory.”
The walk which saw a large crowd of people, took the Mayor and his team through some principal streets of Tema for about three hours. Walkers included security personnel, students, hoteliers, hairdressers, party officials, Tema District Council of Labour and Assembly Members.