Chairman of South-East Governors's Forum and Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi has announced his retirement from active politics.
The Governor, who disclosed this on Sunday, said he would quit active politics at the end of his current tenure in March 2014.
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.
"A very prominent person called me today and asked me, what is your plan concerning politics after your current tenure, I'm telling you now 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 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".
The Governor, who was quite emotional lamented the level of financial waste in government, stressing "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, stressing that he had never bought a car for any of his children.
"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. Dr. Babatunde Ogunbanwo charged Christians to have a right view of Jesus Christ in order to overcome the challenges of life.
Speaking on the theme "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 was no longer conscious of good virtues, stressing that lesbianism, homosexuality, nudity, terrorism, suicide bombing, and greed had all become part of life.
"Therefore, you must make deliberate effort to remain focused as a Christian, you must have a right view of the world and your position", he advised.
Highlight of the event was presentation of award to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, Prince Engr. Arthur Eze and Unoma Ekaete Akpabio, wife of Akwa Ibom Governor, Godswill Akpabio.
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