PRINCE TONYE PRINCEWILL;I AM A YOUNG MAN WITH CONFIDENCE IN MY ABILITIES

"I AM A YOUNG MAN WITH CONFIDENCE

IN MY ABILITIES"

Prince Tonye Princewill, son of the monarch of the Kalabari Kingdom, businessman, patron of the arts, philanthropists and politician, has a lot going for him. He is wickedly handsome, tall, affectionate, friendly,frank, mixes freely and keeps no airs. All these attributes should stand him in good stead but it causes him grief sometimes in a funny sort of way,

“ for whatever reason, people harbor a lot of misconceptions about me. They look at me from afar and form opinions without trying to get closer and giving me a chance to tell my side”.

For instance, a lot of people will tell you, and say it with all confidence that he rode on his father’s patronage as a monarch to make money, but Tonye tells it differently,

“That’s very far from the truth, my dad was a professor before he became King in 2003, I had made my money long before then in about 2002”.

His strategy, even for a grassroots politician is unique, he has set out to engage with people, one person at a time to change their perception and let the story spread.

Hear him,

“People usually have a different opinion of me when we are together for ten minutes. They realize am not arrogant or snobbish as people claim, but down to earth, like every young man of my status.

In his mid-forties, Tonye says he is in politics because he believes, "Politics is too important to be left to politicians.” And despite whatever misconceptions, Tonye continues to be a beacon of hope for his people in Rivers State as a forthright and visionary politician whose steadfastness can be counted upon at all times”.

He talks about his motivations,

“By my birth and training, and through the grace of God, who freely gives, I am confident, focused and sure footed. My vision and goals are geared towards the greater good of my people. I have been immensely blessed and the best I can do for society is to help lift my people from poverty and ignorance, a small number of people out of desperation and timidity would rather sow seeds to disparage my noble intentions but am not moved.”

Looking back, Tonye says, the story of his life is dotted with turning challenges and road blocks into stepping stones.

‘Every business I set up was in answer to a challenge, though the son of a King and an erudite professor, life has not always been a bed of rose. I have struggled and surmounted the challenges of life like any young man of my generation. I am pragmatic, a realist. What propels me is my fighting spirit and the desire to break new frontiers.”

He recalls a childhood filled with happy memories and love, he recalls, " My father, (King T. J. T. Princewill, is the Amanyanabo of Kalabari Kingdom of the Amachree Dynasty in Rivers State) worked in a veterinary research institute in Jos, Plateau State and my mother was a loving housewife. I saw how love works when a man marries a woman with five children and together, they raised six of us. This way, my respect for women became second to none. In my early years, my brothers and sisters were away in the university and I was home alone with my parents. At a point, they were my best friends and to keep me occupied, my father would ask me to watch the news and narrate what I had learnt whenever he came back. That was the best lesson I learnt. Life made sense to me a lot earlier than it did to my peers and I was taught the value of hard work”.

He has a first degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Port Harcourt, and a Master’s degree in Mineral Resources Engineering at the Imperial College, London.

Tonye is married to Rosemary. He met her through a cousin while they were at the University of Port Harcourt, where she studied economics. Their love for music was a common ground for the union to blossom. They sang sang duets together and strolled or sat in his car sometimes till daybreak. It was very romantic! “

"I proposed to her on January 1, 1998 and in December of the same year, we were married in Benin. She is a lot more extroverted than me and I find her to be the life of the house. I do the thinking in the house, she does the implementation. She is the best mother and wife you can ever imagine and she lets me be me. Without her, there would be no me. My wife focuses on me more than herself and she is my sanity."

For a man who spends every waking moment working, attending to people, does he have time to relax and unwind?

“It gets really busy and hectic for me, but I do find time to relax. When things get quiet, which is rare, I watch movies, play video games and read books. It is only when I am with my wife that I am relaxed. Many of us forget what is important. I work so hard on project Nigeria because I want to be able to relax later in life. Whenever I'm in town, I go out to watch movies, take the family for dinner, visit Yankari Games Reserve or spend the weekend in Obudu cattle ranch. Currently, my passions are football and car racing. Whenever I can, I watch Manchester United at Old Trafford or go to a Formula 1 race to see Lewis Hamilton. A few years ago, when Manchester United came to Nigeria, I got involved and I took a few kids to see them play live. That is what I want replicated daily-bringing world class leisure to Nigeria."

Tonye is passionate about helping to make the world a better place not just through words but buy using his wealth to help the downtrodden in society; he takes advantage of every avenue to give back to society.

"I don't know where to start but sometimes, I do it to my own detriment but I know it will come back. This is only the beginning, my best is yet to come," he says.

‘The Princewill Trust is my little effort to help my fellow man in Rivers state, The Trust was setup as an outreach effort to touch the needy and those less privileged, in Rivers State primarily but also in Nigeria.

Over the years, I've watched in despair as my fellow citizens have suffered due to the absence of government.

Most of us have remained in the comfortable place of blaming the government and doing nothing else but governments (no matter how proactive they are) cannot meet all the needs of the people!!

It is with this in mind that I came to the conclusion that something had to be done. If all of us do something to help our fellow citizens (no matter how small) instead of relying entirely on government; then we will begin the process of change.

If a hundred people start doing something to help; before you know it --1000 will join and then 10,000 and so on”.

Indeed.

Al Humphrey Onyanabo