Osun @25: Calisthenics is Part of Leadership Training-Aregbesola

By Abdulrofiu Agboola

Osun State government on Saturday celebrated the 25th anniversary of the state with calisthenics display by excited 4000 school children drawn from 17 middle schools in Osogbo and Olorunda Local Governments Area of the state.

The young athletes through the calisthenics display expressed their happiness with numerous atheletic demonstrations.

The public school children systematically wrote: “Long Live Osun, Happy 25th Anniversary, Igba Otun ntesiwaju, Ipinle Omoluabi, among other celebrating words with their calisthenics display.

Addressing the mammoth crowd that filled Osogbo Township Stadium for the celebration, Aregbesola described the calisthenics as an integral and important part of leadership training for the youths.

According to Aregbesola, the calisthenics display was an experience that has never taken place in any state of the country.

He added that calisthenics is a physical training that dated to the ancient Greeks but founded on the principle of unity, discipline, persevearance and other necessary attributes of leadership for the future of the society.

Aregbesola said the resuscitation of calisthenics display which was introduced by late Cicero, Chief Bola Ige in the second republic, was to promote unity and harmony among students.

Aregbesola recalled that 8,000 students were trained for the display in 2012 by the Cuban experts, condemning the opposition’s allegation then that the students were trained for secession.

He said: “The Calisthenics programme is an all out of school extra-curricular programme which was aimed at promoting unity, harmony and team spirit among students of Junior Secondary Schools in the state.

“One of the motives behind the programme is to take students away from potentially harmful out-of-school activities and provide a platform for fraternization and positive interaction among them.

“It is not only an out-of-school activity, but also a life-style changing project to enhance the emergence of a new generation of students who are physically fit, mentally sound and socially responsible and well adjusted.