Accumulating unneeded wealth is madness, says Obi

[TGD]

 • To quit politics next year

"A VERY prominent person called me today (Sunday) and asked me my plan concerning politics after my current tenure, and I told him that 'for me, I have come to the end of it, I want to quit and rest. The level of greed in Nigeria is overwhelming, where people can't see the suffering of other people. They are just accumulating wealth, for me, it is time to go.

"I wonder why one person should own a house in Ikoyi, Asokoro, Dubai and he is not using them for anything, people accumulate what they don't need, it is madness, the level of greed in Nigeria is intolerable.

"I want all of us to be praying for Nigeria, so that God will touch the heart of our leaders to use public money for the people. In Anambra State, we have never borrowed money despite all the works we are doing".

With these words of lamentation Sunday, Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, announced his retirement from active politics.

He said he would like to use the remaining part of his life to serve humanity in other spheres where God would want to use him.

Obi, who made the announcement on Sunday, said he would quit active politics at the end of his current tenure.

He spoke at the thanksgiving service and award ceremony to mark the end of the 2nd Session of the 15th Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Enugu at the St. Bartholomew's Church, Asata, Enugu.

The governor, who was quite emotional, lamented the level of financial waste in government, stressing that "the cost of running a governor's office in Nigeria is too much. When I came in as governor, I discovered that the state had 70 workers in Abuja office. Apart from their salary we spend close to 15 million maintaining that office. They have nothing doing there than to come to the airport and welcome me, constituting nuisance, so we re-deployed the workers and closed down the place. Till date, we have not missed them, which means they were really doing nothing there.

"I urge all of us to pray for greedy people in this country, they are accumulating what they don't need, stop accumulating things for your children," he charged politicians.

Obi, who said he had never bought a car for any of his children, added: "I have told them to buy cars when they make their money, I have also never celebrated birthday for them. They can do that when they leave my house. We should stop wasting public fund".

Earlier in a homily, the Anglican Bishop of Ijebu South West, Rt. Rev. Babatunde Ogunbanwo, charged Christians to have a right view of Jesus Christ in order to overcome the challenges of life.

Speaking on "Overcoming the challenges of the time" at the service presided over by the Bishop, Emmanuel Chukwuma of the Enugu Diocese, Ogunbanwo observed that the society is no longer conscious of good virtues, lamenting that lesbianism, homointercourseuality, nudity, terrorism, suicide bombing and greed have all become part of life.

Highlight of the event was presentation of award to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps, Emeka Ihedioha, Arthur Eze and Unoma Ekaete Akpabio, wife of Akwa Ibom State governor.



The Guardian