As citizens, diplomats and people of goodwill all over the world cling glasses in commemoration of the birth of a composite gentleman and personification of courage and philanthropy; the Scion of the Kalabari Kingdom, Prince Tonye T.J.T Princewill, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) and most importantly, an authority in the history and culture of the Kalabari Kingdom and her people, joined family and friends, the Kalabaris and the entire Ijaw nation to mark the auspicious occasion of the birth of the special breed and gift to humanity, who was born on January 4, 1969 and clocks 52 today.
Prince Tonye T.J.T Princewill, better addressed as the ‘Prince of Niger Delta Politics’ is one of the great politicians who have distinguished himself in the politics of the State and the country at large.
A Nigerian investor, film producer and philanthropist, Prince Tonye Princewill was the 2015 Labour Party and 2007 Action Congress nominee for the Governorship of Rivers State. He is currently a staunch member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
One time political ally of the then former Vice-President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar and the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and, a great admirer and follower of Dr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation.
In a detailed and well-articulated treatise made available to media houses, Chief Eze said Princewill, a grassroot politician of repute made history when he decided to join forces with Rotimi Amaechi in 2007 to form the most successful unity Government ever in Nigeria.
According to the Peoples Prince, “We took the decision at the time that the enemy of your enemy is your friend,” indicating his opponents were Celestine Omehia and his ‘godfather’, Dr. Peter Odili, the former governor of Rivers State when Amaechi was installed Governor by the court.
He claimed that the decision to withdraw his case was made even easier because the same people who offered to give him 1.5 billion to withdraw his case, came back to offer him 1.5 billion and evidence of how they rigged the election against him to keep his case in court with the motive to remove Amaechi.
Tonye Princewill later led members of the opposition parties in Rivers State under the banner of the Forum of Organized Opposition Political Parties to form a unity government with the Rotimi Amaechi’s administration.
The party chieftain said notwithstanding the tone of opposing voices, Tonye Princewill stands undisputed as a decimal in the politics of Rivers State and the Niger Delta region in general.
Princewill, an avid member of the All Progressives Congress and frontline party chieftain was appointed the Director of Strategic Communication for APC’s Tonye Cole, to execute the 2019 Gubernatorial campaign in Rivers state and bring victory to the people, but for the acts of Abe and his small circle of saboteurs, he would have succeeded to install an APC Administration in Rivers State.
Chief Eze said at 52, Prince Tonye Princewill has achieved great feats and attained a very enviable height which many dread to attempt.
From successfully running Riverdrill, his oil and gas conglomerate and other business interests with hundreds of Nigerians meaningfully engaged 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.
The birth of Prince Tonye Princewill, the son and scion to the famous King (Prof) Theophilus Jacob Tom Princewill (CFR), Amachree XI, the Amayanabo of Kalabari Kingdom, coincides with that of his father who turns 91 today.
This unique coincidence in the birth of father and son is very significant and distinguishes the household of Prof. TJT Princewill from other families on the planet.
Having followed this young man for over a decade, Chief Eze maintained that a comprehensive account of the politics of Rivers State will be grossly defective without the mention of this enigma; a technocrat of the highest order, an accomplished businessman, a consummate politician and a philanthropist per excellence, whose impact in the political engineering of the State cannot be overemphasized.
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 but as a means to attract democratic dividends to the people.
Eze further highlighted that 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, Princewill 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, he 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 who clocks 52 today, January 4, 2021, is credited for exhibiting wisdom beyond his years when in 2007, he withdrew unconditionally, his tribunal case against the PDP in Rivers state for what he called strategic reasons. 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. Tonye sees equality in all men.
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 University of 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.SC in Postgraduate studies in Mineral Resources Engineering and a Diploma of Imperial College (DIC) London. His interests are people, film, football, swimming, basketball and travel.
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, and yet again 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 Vision 2020 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.
Further Attestation To His Type Of Politics
Prince Tonye Princewill politics is based on his often 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, 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.
– Identified and donated N2.5million to the Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) during its 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, Port Harcourt
– 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 the then 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 in 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
- 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.
- 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’.
- The Prince premiered Kajola the most expensive film ever produced in Nigeria at the silver bird cinema Abuja on 30th July, 2010, with a whooping production cost of One Hundred and thirty Million Naira (N130M). The plot of the movie set in Nigeria, 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 gap between the rich and the poor and the ensuing catastrophic outcomes stemming from such neglect.
- 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”.
- 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.
- 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.
- Donation of multi-million Naira equipped studio to some youths he sponsored to the Del-York Film Academy.
- His monthly Award of One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100,000) to the less privileged Traders/Artisans is a must look out by most of the youths in Rivers State.
His Mission
On his mission, Chief Eze quoted the Prince as stating thus, “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!
Finally, the party Chief opined thus “I must confess that in my interaction with human beings within my sixty three 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 academic, 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.
Referring readers and the general public to a link to learn more about Tonye Eze said “It will do you a lot of good if you will find time to watch this documentary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfxbUJYEIX and you will be convinced that truly we are blessed by this special gift to mankind”.
On behalf of his associates, friends and family, Eze wishes Prince Tonye Princewill, a happy progressive birthday and presents to this man of honour who has proven beyond any iota of doubt that it is better to serve than to be served, 52 precious garlands, on the auspicious occasion of his 52nd birth anniversary. He prayed God to bless and multiply him in all spheres and beyond human imagination.
