Accra, 14, March, GNA- Ghanaians should cultivate the habit of exercising regularly in order to be healthy physically for the total development of their communities and the nation as a whole, says Pastor Mensa Otabil, General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC).

Addressing the congregation of the church at the Christ Temple in Accra on Saturday after this year's walk by the church members from Accra and Tema, he said, March had been declared Health and Fitness month and as part of the awareness, the ICGC instituted the walk dubbed: Life Walk.

"This event instituted three years ago and attracted over 7,000 participants last year is non competitive and had become popular with both church members and the general public alike", he added. Pastor Mensa Otabil, who is also the Senior Pastor at Christ Temple noted that, apart from enhancing the physical well-being of the participants, the walk was also meant to raise funds for the social developmental projects of the Church.

He said proceeds from this year's walk would be used for the construction of mechanised bole-holes for some selected underserved communities in the country at the cost of one million cedis. He said: "The provision of safe drinking water to these communities will serve as a catalyst for both physical and spiritual renewal and the initiation of other developmental projects".

Pastor Mansa Otabil noted that a committee to oversee the construction of the bole-holes had been set and that discussions were far advanced with the water companies, which would partner the Curch in the project.

The General Overseer said 120,000 Ghana cedis would be needed for the construction of the 20 bore-holes to be constructed. "Before the end of the first half of this year, some selected communities will receive potable water through boreholes and other water purification systems", he added.

The walk, which started at the premises of the Christ Temple ended at the same place, saw the participants walking through some principal streets of Accra.

The first adult to finish the eighteen-kilometre walk was Abednego Adama with the time of 1 hour 35 minutes and the youngest to finish first was 14-year old Daniel Ayivor, who clocked 1 hour 59 mimutes.