I’ll quit politics after my tenure –Obi

 

Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi
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Anambra State Governor Peter Obi says he will quit active politics after his tenure as governor in 2014.

Obi, who is also the chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum, stated this on Sunday at St. Bartholomew’s Church, Asata, Enugu.

He spoke at the thanksgiving service and award ceremony to mark the end of the second session of the 15th Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Enugu.

He said, “A very prominent person called me today and asked me of my plan concerning politics after my current tenure. This is what I told him.

“For me, I have come to the end of it; I want to quit and rest. However, I have been praying to God that for the sake of the good people of Anambra State, please give them somebody like Peter Obi.

“The level of greed in Nigeria is overwhelming, where people cannot 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 do not 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 work we are doing.”

Obi, who frowned on the level of financial waste in government, said, “The cost of running a governor’s office in Nigeria is too much.”

He added, “When I came in as a governor, I found out that the state had 70 workers in Abuja office; apart from their salaries, we spent close to N15m maintaining that office. They had nothing doing other than going to the airport and welcoming me.”

Canvassing prudence in the running of public offices, Obi said he never bought a car for any of his children.

He said, “I have told them to buy cars when they make their money. I have also never celebrated birthdays for them. They can do that when they leave my house. We should stop wasting public funds.”