Olufemmy Brights Treatise of Prince Tonye Princewill Philanthropic Gestures Tonye Theophilus Jacob Thomas Princewill a prominent politician in Rivers State and the country at large and a business man who was born on the 4th of January 1969 as the only child of the reigning Amayanabo Kalabari, His Majesty King (Prof) Theophilus Jacob Tom Princewill, CFR, Amachree XI .Despite his royal status he has proved himself to be a man bent on carving out his own niche. According to a saying, behind a successful man there is a successful woman, Tonye met the love of his life, Rosemary who hails from Uromi, Edo State in 1988. They met again in london in 1991 and got married in 1998. They are blessed with three lovely children, a daughter, Azariah and a set of twin boys, Tamunotonye (Teetee) and Tamunopreye (Teepee). As a business man, despite all his busy schedule, as a family man who sees his family as very important, Tonye always makes out time to be with his family at home or on holidays. To his friends and associates Tonye is an Eagle able to use with and intellect to penetrate to the heart of issues at stake. He shares the same birthday with his father, His Majesty King (Prof) T.J.T Princewill who refers to him as the Rock. In his humanitarian services to the less privileged, Prince has repeatedly demonstrated his capacity for love and concern for the mother-less babies in the society through his numerous charity works. Some of his charity programs fund improvements in infrastructure and fund daily operational costs for select of orphanages homes across various communities in Rivers State. A firm believer in the saying dont give me fish but teach me how to fish, Prince Tonye Princewill had empowered the women of Rivers State through a N23 million skills acquisition scheme available to various women groups in the 23 Local Government Areas of the state. Tonye as well had been quoted as saying Treat Women with Respect, give them opportunity and economy one household at a time. Princewill equally demonstrated his love and his humanitarian services for his fellow man during the devastating floods of 2012 that rendered thousands of people homeless. The Princewill Trust foundation was one of the early respondents with medical, food and other aid to numerous refugees scattered across relief camps in Rivers State and Bayelsa State. Some time in April 2012 Tonye sponsored Melody Shelter, the first ever singing talent show targeting orphanages and less privileged childrens homes. It was a huge success with winners of the show receiving prizes worth over N 22 million. Many lives have quietly been changed by these acts of charity. In collaboration with Adonis Production, Tonye produced Nigerias first Sci-Fi movie, Kajola, a film that explores a future Nigeria set in 2059 where government is dominated by a clique of individuals driven by greed. It is a story of neglect, economic and social segregation, alienation, perseverance, love, struggle and redemption. Directed by Niyi Akinmolayan and starring Desmond Elliot, Keira Hewatch, Adonijah Owiriwah and others, Kajola was a box office hit. This and other collaborations with Nollywood demonstrate Tonyes passion for developing our valuable human capital. Prince is regularly seen at major red carpet events where he provides support for the development of the local entertainment industry. He was a judge on the 2011 MBGN (Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria) beauty pageant in Lagos, supported the Rivers State Music and Arts Project (RIVMAP) with N25 million to promote talent in the South-South region of Nigeria, and had provided scholarships to student of the Del York Film Academy in Lagos. A key vision statement of the Princewill Trust is You are blessed to bless others. With his love for media and its impact on public awareness, Tonye donated N 2.5 million to the Rivers State council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) during the NUJs 5th Delegates conference where he was Chair person of the occasion. Tide Newspaper received computers whilst the Federated Correspondents Chapel received a full equipped Cyber Cafe. Tonye continues to demonstrate his love for children by collaborating with Adonis Production on the Izu Ojukwu- directed film, Nnenda, an award winning movie about the plight of orphans in our society. He is also the Executive producer of the very much anticipated film 76. A film set in the 70s. With a budget of over 1.5 million dollars and 5 years in production, 76 promises to bring Nollywood out into the international stage. In June 2012 the Princewill Trust sponsored Ten (10) Nigerians youngsters under the aegis of the Change Nigeria Group (CNG), on a tour of Dubai and South Africa where they met with members of the royal family in the UAE, international inventors and business and thought leaders. Through there interventions Tonye was helping to groom a new generation of Nigerian youth who can dreams. The Princewill Trust is an annual sponsor of the Amachree Scholarship Fund for indigent students from the 23 LGAs of Rivers State. Blesses with uncommon wisdom Tonye easily navigates through the business and political terrain quietly making a meaningful impact on those he interacts with. A pillar of support for Amaechi in his first tenure, the two parted ways over the Princes refusal to fight the president now and in 2015. As an active sportsman Tonye continues to support efforts to promote a healthy and active life style. In January 2013 Tonye built and handover a N 25 million modern pavilion to the Port-Harcourt Polo Club which was founded in 1974 by Gen. T.Y. Danjuma (rtd). Named after his father, His Majesty King (Prof) Theophilus Jacob Tom Princewill, CFR, Amachree XI, the pavilion was commissioned by the King during the 2013 Annual Port-Harcourt International Polo Tournament that drew in participants from all around the world. Tonye Princewill is a man of the people and through his Princewill Trust he continues to support the people at the grass roots through direct cash disbursements, small scale business support and other empowerment programs across the 23 LGAs of Rivers State. Thousands of common people have benefited from his interventions Prince Tonye Princewill had always been vocal in expressing individual and collective desires for improvement in our society. This drove his active participation in the 2007 Rivers State gubernatorial contest as the candidate for the Action Congress (AC) party. He is currently leader of the PPA, a political association of PDP members. Tonyes relevance and dynamism were recognised by the Federal Government when he was appointed into the Presidential Technical Committee on the Niger Delta in 2008 which was saddled with the responsibility of fashioning out a blueprint for the future of the Niger Delta region. In another development, following the race of some political gladiators that are striving hard and as well aspiring to become the next governor of Rivers State come 2015, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), Prince Tonye Princewill had expressed his optimistic about picking up the governorship ticket despite the powerful prominent politicians who are also optimistic in that regard, saying that for the Kalabari blue-blood, for me, it is the governorship or nothing. Princewill who expressed his confidence to news men recently at the Swiss International Hotel, Port Harcourt where he had a media parley equally said that he called the meeting to speak on the issues of the state of the nation, state of Rivers State and the disquiet between the Presidency and the Rivers State Government, further said the meeting was for him to re-establish a relationship with the media men. Princewill also said he decided to be silence because “if you don’t speak others will speak for you” even as he decried the insecurity in the country. There was no doubt that when the invite to the press conference went forth, many journalist invited anticipated Princewill was going to declare his aspiration to run for the governorship in 2015. Aware it was the journalists’ mood, the PDP chieftain narrated that “I know you’d be expecting that this press conference is for me to declare my governorship for 2015. I am sorry to disappoint you. When it is time, I will do the declaration. But before someone else would speak for me, I want to say that I am going to run for the governorship, and of course, it’s going to be on the platform of the PDP. For me it’s governorship or nothing. Don’t give me the presidency. My only interest is the governorship of Rivers State.” But Princewill who spoke on how he would pick the PDP ticket in a manner that made the journalists think the party already had reached an agreement with the Amachree descendant the ticket was his for the asking, stunned the audience when he said that he might otherwise abandon the quest on one ground. “I have constituted an exploratory committee to access my candidature. This committee includes a former governor of the state. If the committee returns a verdict that says my candidature was unacceptable across the state, and upon that advice that I should not contest, then that will be it. I have a life outside politics. But if they certify my candidature, then, I will go and pick the PDP governorship ticket. In 2007, when I was in AC(Action Congress now rested), many did not give me any chance of beating Sergeant Awuse who they called Bulldozer. But I defeated him and many wondered how. “Rivers State needs people who will bring peace and prosperity to the state; not belong to a faction. For me to be governor will be a miracle. Yes! Rivers State needs a miracle. Whoever becomes the next governor will take the Hands of God. I’m looking forward to 2015. I have one-point agenda - to provide employment,.” Princewill spoke like an insider in the rift between Governor Chibuike Amaechi and President Goodluck Jonathan. “I know that Amaechi supported President Goodluck Jonathan in 2007. Some commissioners in Amaechi’s first tenure were nominated by Jonathan. If I was governor, I won’t fight Jonathan. The President needs help. Let good men give him help.” Princewll also spoke on Amechi’s move to the All Progressives Congress, APC. He said: “I didn’t want Amaechi to leave PDP. But he left and did so with a lot of possible contestants against my candidature. I believe that the tougher the challenge, the sweeter the victory. Deep down inside Amaechi, he knows that APC is a wrong move.”
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 10:56:21 +0000
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