Princewill
at 50: Cole's Strategist, Wike's Nightmare
By Eze Chukwuemeka Eze
Preamble
Prince Tonye Princewill, popularly
known as the Prince of Niger Delta Politics, was a two-time gubernatorial
candidate in Rivers state; first on the platform of the defunct Action Congress
(AC) that gave birth to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2007 and later
on the platform of the Labour Party in 2015, one time Leader of the Forum of
opposition political parties (FOPP) in Rivers state, Founder and President of
Princewill Political Associates (PPA), a political pressure group whose impact
in the politics of Rivers state needs not be overemphasised and currently the Director
of Strategic and Communications of the Tonye Cole Campaign Organisation (TCCO),
a position he intends to use to ouster Governor Nyesom Wike and install Pastor
Tonye Cole as the next Governor of Rivers State come March, 2019.
At 50 years of age, Golden Prince
Tonye Princewill has already done things that many of his age mates dread to
attempt. From running successfully Riverdrill, his oil and gas conglomerate
employing many hundreds of Nigerians and other business interests to being the
youngest gubernatorial candidate in Rivers state elections of 2007 as candidate
of the Action Congress of Nigeria and Labour Party Governorship candidate in
2015.
Prince Tonye Princewill, the son and
scion to the famous King (Prof) Theophilus Jacob Tom Princewill (CFR), Amachree
XI, the Amayanabo of Kalabari Kingdom, whom he shares the same birthday with,
celebrated his 50th birthday on 4th January, 2019. His father aswell elebrated
his 89th birthday on the same date.This unique sharing of the same birthday
between father and son makes this family different from other families on
earth.
Having followed this young man for
over a decade, I must confess that the politics of Rivers State, no matter who
the author may be, can’t be complete without the mention of this enigma; a
technocrat of the highest order, an accomplished businessman, a consummate
politician and a philanthropist par excellence, whose impact in the political
engineering of the State can’t be overemphasised. He stands out as a
professional engineer and a business magnate, who did not take politics as a
profession for lack of means of livelihood.
Prince Tonye Princewill was a senior
technical project manager and business analyst of the highest caliber. A
strategic thinker with excellent problem-solving ability, he is highly
adaptable and well experienced across diverse environments. From global,
multi party, multi million pound projects to hands-on, low budget challenges,
he has a proven track record of getting the job done. He is an excellent communicator,
effective at all levels and confident in resolving business, technical and
political issues. The motivation, enthusiasm, technical expertise and team
building skills Tonye brings to his projects have been pivotal to their
successes.
A post-graduate of Imperial College London,
he is a certified PRINCE II practitioner with a sound working knowledge of both
ITIL and Change Management and has until quite recently been a regular
presenter on project management issues. In addition to his Information
technology and Oil and Gas interests, Tonye has a business empire that spans
across the aviation industry to the haulage of petroleum products for NNPC
(Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation) and OANDO. His company is involved in
strategic placement of resources with the targetted placement of investment
from outside and within Rivers State.
The Prince was 50 years old on 4th
January 2019 and is credited for exhibiting wisdom beyond his years when he
withdrew unconditionally his tribunal case against the PDP in Rivers state for
what he called strategic reasons in 2007. The AC PDP partnership practiced in
the state is a study in selflessness and political engineering in Nigeria.
Princewill is a professional who
deliberately entered into politics as a result of his concerns for his people
and personal attempts to help them. He decided to bring his acumen and dynamism
to bear on his effort to serve his people as Governor in the 2007 and 2015
elections. Even as a private businessman, he has been a people-centered person,
who prefers to sacrifice to make others happy.
Prince
Tonye TJT Princewill from the Beginning (Birth & Education)
Prince Tonye TJT Princewill was born
to Prof and Mrs TJT Princewill on 4thJanuary, 1969. He began his formal
education in Nigeria at the famous Hillcrest High School Jos from 1976 to 1980.
His post primary education saw the young prince at the prestigious Federal
Government College, Port Harcourt (1980-1985) where he won many laurels
including award as the best English student in the school. With an outstanding
performance at the West African School Certificate Examination and the Joint
Admission and Matriculation Board exams, the young Tonye enrolled at the
Universityof Port Harcourt the same year he left secondary school, naturally
equipped to study and bag a Bachelor's degree in Petroleum Engineering
(1985-1990). By 1991, after his youth service, Prince Tonye Princewill had left
the shores of Nigeria in search of the Golden Fleece and eventually feathered his
cap at the Imperial College, London with an M.SCin Postgraduate studies in
Mineral Resources Engineering and a Diploma of Imperial College (DIC) London.
His interests are people, film, football, swimming, basketball and travel.
Cole's
Strategist and Wike's Nightmare
This one man riot squad of a person
most of the time instills fear and admiration in the minds of his followers
with the manner and speed he conducts the affairs of any task given to him that
today he is more a terror to Governor Wike and his likes.
He shouts when the need to
shout arises and when it becomes imperative to offer positive criticisms or
suggestions on how to move the State forward, he does it with passion and at
the risk to his life like when dared the dreadful Nyesom Wike for the exalted
office of the Rivers State number one seat during the 2015 gubernatorial
election.
With all these feats and experience
and age at his side, it was the thinking of most of his admirers particularly
key political watchers of Rivers State politics that Prince Tonye Princewill
have matured for the exalted office of the Governor of Rivers State but
surprisingly he was among the first to accept the coming of Pastor Tonye Cole
as the Standard Bearer of Rivers State chapter of All Progressives Congress
(APC). He gave up his ambition to another great son of Rivers State who has
established himself as a leading light in our generation. Somebody well
acknowledged world wide as a great Administrator and outstanding Industrialist
to lead Rivers State out of its present sorrow and pitiable state.
Since his appointment as the
Director of the Directorate of Strategic and Communications for the Tonye Cole
Campaign Organisation, Governor Nyesom Wike has gone into hiding knowing that
his miserable administration will come to an end in matter of few months.
Prince
Tonye Princewill and His Type of Politics
According to the Prince, "My
political career is intact. Good people are becoming more and more critical to
move Nigeria forward. When Nigerians realise we cannot continue like this, they
will look for people like us or younger versions to exhibit excellence and
toughness combined. I do not have to be the one running for office, but either
way I will be involved.
The dream was never to rule, it was
to lead. And lead by example. I do that every day in whatever capacity I find
myself. It is not easy to engage with all kinds of politicians and come out
clean. I believe I have done that. It is not easy to come from nowhere and make
a name in state and national politics; I believe I have done that. It is not
easy to join the Nollywood family and make an impact, I believe we have done
that and it is not easy to develop the business contacts we did without
politics, yet we have also done that. If politics has not allowed me show my
capacity today, one day I will in whatever capacity. Maybe I am bigger than
just Rivers state or politics. Maybe my dream is to be a statesman. The country
is short of them.”
Fortunately I am not prepared to
kill, maim or sacrifice human life to achieve political goals. So my ambition
and my dreams are measured by the price I am prepared to pay for them. The dark
actors in Rivers state know that if I decide to go down the path of violence,
neither of them would rest easy. They know I am not the one who would be
afraid. But like the story of the two women and King Solomon, I am not prepared
to kill my people in order to lead them. There has to be a line.
Our leaders have let us down.
History and God will not be too kind to us. Your only redemption is to show
your track record. Corruption needs to be addressed head on but we must be able
to talk and walk at the same time. Fiscal discipline, creating the environment
for growth, security in the Niger Delta especially and the promotion of a
positive identity are crucial if we want to crack the No 1 problem in Nigeria –
JOBS."
His
Advocacy
The liberal democrat has been
involved in a lot of advocacy for his people. A few that may be mentioned here
are as follows:
- He was at Enugu personally to
liaise and collaborate with the Ohaneze Ndi Igbo leadership to enable them to
submit suggestions on how to resolve the Niger Delta issue in 2009.
- Believes in internal democracy and
that political parties in Nigeria must be ideology driven and has in that
regard appealed to His Excellency Alh. Bamanga Tukur the then PDP National
Chairman to make the party an ideological based political party.
- Did the impossible totally unlike
any politician in Nigeria by his dramatic resignation from the Vision2020
Committee of which he was a principal member, to protest a military assault on
Gbaramatu, in Delta State. Such principled politics has made Prince Tonye
Princewill a brand name in the Niger Delta struggle and earned him legions of
awards--attesting to his emergence as an important leader.
- He is the Founder and Leader of
Princewill Political Associates (PPA) a political pressure group spearheading
emancipation and uplifting the welfare of the people of Rivers State.
Rivers
State Unity Government- Amaechi and Princewill - Lesson To the World
One other area that Prince
Tonye Princewill remains a leader whose impact in the politics of Nigeria can't
be forgotten in a hurry was how he engineered the Unity Government in Rivers State
with his senior brother and friend, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi erstwhile
Governor of Rivers State. Power sharing as we all know, whichever way it is
operated in the country, especially in the current political dispensation has
not really worked out the way it has impacted on the electorate in other
climes.
This has been attributed to the
nature of the country's politics, which makes it extremely difficult for the
party that loses election to be carried along by the party in power, and
contribute in development initiatives. Many conclude that power sharing, in our
own experience, is a charade, and an awkward arrangement that would cause more
division in the polity and derail the development agenda rather than speed it
up
But the political arrangement
in Rivers State, where the then Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the then
Action Congress (AC) worked together, according to observers, has clearly
demonstrated that irrespective of political divides, politicians can join
forces to drive objectives forward. They see the Rivers example as an alliance
to improve governance and deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of
the state.
While achieving this objective, it
reduced political tension and recourse to violence. Indeed, for a state that
had witnessed serious politically motivated crisis, and trying to break away
from the past, experts argue that the State government would have created
another battle for itself, while fighting outside forces if it had decided to
govern alone.
This experience by Rt. Hon. Chibuike
Rotimi Amaechi and Prince Tonye Princewill still stands as a study in political
sagacity, engineering and is the best solution to a tense environment which
sadly most States in Nigeria have failed to copy or implement.
Further
Attestation to His Type of Politics
Prince Tonye Princewill politics is
based on his oft quoted phrase - “you are blessed to bless others”. He is also
motivated by the Bible which states in Proverbs 28:27 that “He that giveth unto
the poor shall not lack; but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse”
in his drive to better the lots of the less privilege in our society. A few of
his philanthropic exploits are as follows:
- On 26th July, 2008 he sponsored 20
youths from Niger Delta and four members of Sports Writers Association of
Nigeria (SWAN) to watch live the Manchester United and Portsmouth Football
Clubs all English Clubs during they visit to Nigeria at Abuja
- He started the year of 2012 when
he visited and donated 25 million to the Port Harcourt Polo club, 26 million
towards Microfinance for rural women, several million towards setting up a 3D
studio for film academy scholars
- By June, 2012, he sponsored ten
bright Nigerians under the aegis of Change Nigeria Group (CNG) on a tour of
Dubai and South Africa where they met with members of the UAE royal family,
institutional investors and leaders from far and wide so that they could
discover for themselves the secrets of their success. .
- The Prince through the Princewill
Trust Fund sponsors the yearly Amachree Scholarship Fund for indigent students
from the 23 Local Govt Areas of Rivers State and for 2012 about 150 Rivers
Indigenes in Higher Institutions in the country at the cost of N20M was
concluded successfully.
- Donation of N25m to the Polo Club
recently meant for the construction of a standard pavilion in honour of his
father
- Donation of N23M Skill Acquisition
Scheme to our LGAs and training of our rural women in Rivers State by
empowering them through skill acquisition scheme as a believer in the saying
don’t give me fish but teach me on how to fish
- Scholarship to indigent students
of Rivers State a rare privilege to pursue their educational careers in higher
Institutions.
- Donation of a bus to the National
Association of Ijaw Female Students.
- Indentified and donated
N2.5million to the Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists
(NUJ) during its last State NUJ Fifth Delegates Conference of which he was the
Conference Chairman.
- Donation of computer equipment to
media organization such as the Tide Newspapers furnished and equipped the Cyber
Cafe of the Federated Correspondents Chapel
- . On 2nd of May, 2012 he did the
impossible by donating an equipped classical Media Centre to his then political
party, PDP at Abuja for the use of Journalists. During one of the Women Day in
Rivers State, the Prince instituted a 26 Million Naira Microfinance Fund for
Rivers State Rural Women.
- An active and key player in
creating awareness for the melancholic plight of the less privileged like the
orphans by his sponsorship of NNENDA, a Nigerian home video that highlighted
the plight of abandoned children and the sponsorship of“Melody Shelters Singing
Talent Show” that cost him N120M wherein the final events saw Godswill
Orphanage of Kogi State clinching the coveted trophy and the Championship Prize
of N10M while the Runners-up, the Lifetime Orphanage of Rivers State got the
Prize of N5M. Rachael Homes, Abuja came in third carting home the N3M prize.
Five Hundred Thousand each was given to the other remaining five Homes as
co-champions.
- Assisted his alma-mata UNIPORT
Alumni when he donated the sum of N5M to the Leadership of Engr. Sampson N.
Adumu led Exco to aid them in their activities during the launching of the
Association in Port Harcourt on July, 2012.
- Sponsored and organized football
competitions with some past football stars based in Port Harcourt, female and
U-18 Soccer Tournaments his drive to continue to give succor to our youths.
- Once intervened and assisted
people in Rivers and Bayelsa States that were affected by the damaging floods
in the land.
- Has touched hundreds of the lives
of the widows in Rivers State through his “New Life For the Widows in Rivers
State”
Tonye
Princewill and the Film Industry
1. Created history when he premiered
the first movie in Port Harcourt in September 12th, 2009 when Nnenda, a movie
about the ills of orphanhood was staged at the famous Silver Bird Cinemas in
Port Harcourt.
2. He followed up with the
premiering of the International award winning “The Figurine” anchored by the
famous Kunle Afolayan in 11th October, 2009 at the Silver Bird Cinemas, Port
Harcourt. This movie was the second Nigerian movie to hit box office status
after Stephanie Okereke’s ‘Through the glass.’
3. The Prince premiered Kajola the
most expensive film ever produced in Nigeria at the silver bird cinema Abuja on
3oth july, 2010 with a whooping production cost of One Hundred and thirty
Million Naira (N130M) The plot of the movie set in Nigeria 2059, which is
expected to appeal to all Nigerians in the sense that it explores the
implications of the continuous neglect of the poor and the widening gulf
between the rich and poor and the ensuing catastrophic outcomes stemming from
such neglect.
4. He sponsored the production of
the first movie in Nigeria on celluoid Camera titled “76”hinged and anchored on
the coup of 1976 in Nigeria aimed at recreating history for the incoming
generation and preserving a remarkable part of the history of our nation. The
post production is ongoing in Germany. The second is Valor, a movie that deals
with the Niger Delta and Boko Haram issues and is also at post production.
At the Toronto International film
festival in 2016, Tonye and crew stood out as the movie 76 which he proudly
produced was singled out for honor.
On his next movie about Boko Haram
the Prince of the less privileged stated, "we will go to Sambissa.
We are also doing a documentary as we speak which is bound to open doors
Nigeria has kept closed for over 40 years. But in everything we do, we do it
with wisdom and care. The unity of Nigeria is paramount. I see our differences
as worthy of celebration and not a cause for conflict. Fear should not rule us,
love needs to start winning. I am glad to be in the midst of an industry that
can make and is making a difference".
5. The RIVMAP which is the
brainchild of Prince Tonye Princewill to serve as a platform for the
emancipation of our youths from poverty and hopelessness by discovering,
nurturing and grooming talent in the arts to stardom had during its inaugural
outing that cost him the sum of N20M had Mr. Timi Julius carting away the N5M
Record Deal in Music with the Dancing group of the Thrillers winning the N2M
Prize in the Dancing Group and Mr. Jacob John a Welder/Fabricator based in Port
Harcourt from Akwa Ibom winning the N1M meant for the Comedy group.
6. Sponsored Mr. Valentine Ohu in
Broadcast Journalism, Miss Crystabel Goddy in Acting, Mr Telema Senibo in 3D
Graphics, Miss Mercy Akudo also in Acting and Mr Stanley Kotey in 3D Graphics
to the Del-York Film Academy
7. Donation of multi-million Naira
equipped studio to some youths he sponsored to the Del-York Film Academy,
His
Mission
On his mission, the Prince stated,
“I have seen wealth, but, I have not found it interesting accumulating it. What
is of interest to me now is how to touch those lives that are not yet
privileged to have the basic things they need for survival. I want justice to
be done to all and to be able to speak for the voiceless majority who do not
have access to the corridors of power. Those are the people I feel most
concerned for, and as I said earlier, my desire to make their voices heard by
those who lead, made me to join politics”.
His
Vision
On His vision: “Rivers state should
be one big development unit. I don't think that what we have now in the State
is enough. Certain parts of the state are not yet feeling the impact of
government and amenities are not evenly spread. While some areas are begging
for the state government attention, others are having more than their fair
share of the state's resources. This lopsidedness in the distribution of social
amenities needs to be checked so that every part of the state would be
adequately taken care of”. It becomes obvious that Franklin .D. Roosevelt, a
former president of the United States of America, an orator and philosopher of
great acclaim, had the likes of the Princewills in mind when he wrote:
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of
those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have
little." Holding tenaciously to this eternal verity, TP as he is called by
admirers, believes that a leader should be a public servant, who strives
relentlessly to put smiles on the faces of his followers without placing undue
emphasis on their social status or dashing the hopes of the poor masses”.
Conclusion
To many Rivers State people, he is
the Prince of the less privileged while to his political associates he is the
Prince of the Niger Delta Politics and to most of his friends from the other
parts of the country, he is the latest Bridge Builder while to you the reader
he is a consummate politician!
On his new task as the Strategist
and Director of Communication of Tonye Cole Campaign Organisation, I am
convinced that he will bring his wealth of experience to bear by ensuring the
ouster of Governor Wike whose administration in Rivers State is the apt
definition of disaster come March 2019.
Finally, I must confess that in my
interaction with human beings within my sixty one years of sojourn on earth, I
have come across very few strong-willed personalities comparable to Tonye
Princewill. But of them all, none can be described as an unassuming but very
dogged in the pursuit of any course he believes to a fault. An accomplished academician,
an orator and a patriot, a charismatic politician, an outstanding
philanthropist, a voice for the voiceless, a study in humility, a great manager
of human resources, a fearless warrior and unassuming humanist, foresighted and
a believer in a united, stronger and viable Rivers State. This special gift to
the people of Rivers State and Nigeria is the only child of his father, HM King
Prof. T. J. T. Princewil, Amachree XI the famous Amanayanabo of Kalabari
kingdom, a renowned Scholar and first class Royal father in Rivers State.
I hereby on behalf of his
associates, friends and family wish and present to him 50 precious garlands to
this man of honour who has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that it is better
to serve than to be served on this special period of his 50th birthday (Golden
jubilee). God will surely bless and multiply you.
