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Jogging
gospel according to Onimole
After a knee injury, he was
advised to jog to assist in the healing of his dislocated knee, following a
ghastly accident he was involved in on his way to Ondo State for a business
appointment several years ago. Although there were fears that he might be wheel
chair-bound as a result of the intensity of the accident, his resilient nature
won him back the use of his legs. Rather than bemoan his fate like many would
have done, he drew from his inner reserve to battle the looming tragedy that
threatened to mar him for life.
Having succeeded in averting the
possibility of confinement, jogging to restore life into his legs was a very
small and big escape for him. So despite the initial anguish at exercising the
injured legs, he humbly abided by the doctor’s order.
After all he has dwelt with tougher situations in his
political life.
He was the chairman of Agege Local Government, when the
accident happened.
As the one on whose shoulders lay the fate of thousands of
people in that local government, he knew he had to brush aside his personal
problems. To do that is not to sit and wallow in self-pity or ponder on the
reason for the accident. Even when insinuations were crediting the accident to
imaginary enemies, rather than waste precious government time looking for
solutions where they don’t exist, he turned to God.
Today, Honourable Femi Onimole
preaches God with such a fervor that would make Men of God jealous with envy.
Only his love for
jogging comes close. His gospel of jogging is challenging to those who are too
lazy to lift their fingers to exercise.
Since cross-carpeting from the Alliance of Democracy (AD) to the People’s
Democratic Party (PDP), Honourable Onimole knew he has stepped on some
unforgiving toes in Lagos. To forestall any attack on his person, he does not
jog while in Lagos. Hear him: “For security reasons, I stopped jogging in
Lagos. The environment unlike Abuja is not too friendly.”
Could his fear for his
life stem from his political ambitions bearing in mind that he had moved over
to another party “Not necessarily. After all, when I was the Agege Local
Council Chairman, I was then in SDP. But I just believe Lagos is to rough and
violent to allow you move around freely and easily,” he explained.
In addition to
jogging, Onimole also enjoys walking. Again, he does it only in Abuja.
“The Abuja traffic is light and you do not have a lot of vehicles like
you do in Lagos. So if I am not jogging, I walk”.
Despite his romance with jogging, he
is unable to do it as often as he would have liked owing to legislative
pressure. “I regret it but it is not easy when one has to stay up all
night attending one caucus meeting or another. We also have to service the
needs of our people. All these come after normal business of the day,” he
said.
The laxity however is not without
some minor set-backs for him. For instance, anytime he stops jogging the injury
on his knees start playing up. “Anytime I take a break, I always notice
itches behind my knees and crams. But when I resume, the itches and crams
disappear,” he said.
In the habit of discovering fresh
challenges, the Honourable is now learning how to play golf at the famous IBB
Golf Club in Abuja. Narrating his experience to this reporter, Onimole said it
has been eventful but tiring. “You have to walk round several holes
without resting. I tell you, it is no child’s play. From afar, the game
appears elitist but your legs and hands are the most affected. Credit must be
given to my associates and friends for encouraging me thus far.
Confessing that he turned to golf
for networking reasons, he however acquiesced to the fact that it was a game
that could be played by everybody notwithstanding status. “In life, nobody
is above all. To an extent, you determine where you belong by charting your
course but life to me is an equal opportunity. Acknowledging the benefits
derived playing the multi sport, Onimole told this reporter that he was aware
that people develop cold shoulders when asked to exercise “ I feel much
better when I exercise. It is like life has been injected into me. There is
usually that fear from people when they are about to go in it. But if they can
overcome it then I tell you the world will be a better place,” he said.
For those who suffer from heart
related diseases like diabetics and hypertension, Onimole recommends jogging.
In his views, sports as a recreational activity helps to assist the flow of
blood. “Some of us have medical problems. It is believed that such
diseases are common among men above 45 years old,” he said.
Does that mean he is a victim? “Well, I visit the
doctor on a regular basis and there are instructions from him that I must abide
to stay healthy. So that is what I am doing. Whether I am diabetic or not is
left for the doctor to say,” was how Onimole parried the question.
A die-hard Arsenal fan, Onimole
enjoys the football skills of Austin Okocha but advises that as a team player,
he should reduce his dribbling skills. “ I believe that Okocha is a
terrific player, but sometimes he tends to overdo it and that is not to good
for the team as a captain”, said the honourable.
With exercising running through the
family veins, his wife and children who are outside the country also do workout.
“My son plays basketball while my daughter is a good swimmer. For my
wife, she walks round the park close to our home,” he stated.
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