The
Alluring Narrative of Tonye Princewill (Part2)
By Nwaorgu Faustinus
Apart from the role
he played during the first ever
musical reality show for orphanages organised by Melody Shelters in
collaboration with Adonis Productions, to being a major facilitator of NNENDA,
Prince Tonye has nonetheless showed unwavering love to the youth, indigent
undergraduates, and rural women among others. For instance, in June 2012,
Prince Tonye sponsored ten Nigerian youths from the “Change Nigeria Group
(CNG)” on a tour of South Africa and Dubai where the youths met with members of
UAE royal family, institutional investors and leaders from far and wide so that
they could find for themselves the secrets of their success.
In the educational sector, he has through his brainchild
– Princewill Trust Fund sponsored the annual Amachree Scholarship Fund for poor
students from the 23 LGA’s in Rivers State and about 150 Rivers indigenes in
higher institutions in Nigeria. In furtherance of his acts of charity, he
donated 23million naira Skill Acquisition Scheme to LGA’s for the training of
rural women in the state by empowering them via skill acquisition programme to
uphold the saying “do not give me fish but teach me how to fish”. Relatedly, he
facilitated the sponsorship of the likes of Miss Mercy Akudo in Acting, Mr
Valentine Ohu in Broadcast Journalism, Stanley Kotey in 3D Graphics, Crystabel
Goddy in Acting and Telema Senibo in 3D Graphics to the Del-York Film Academy.
Today, these youths are proud owners of multi-million naira equipped studios.
It is therefore imperative at this junction to enumerate
some of the commendable deeds of this man to humanity as captured by one Chief
Chukwueme Eze a media consultant based in Port Harcourt.
- 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 in his drive to continue to give
succor to our youths.
- Recently 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”
-
He followed it up with the premiering of the International award winning “The
Figurine” anchored by the famous Kunle Afolayan in 11thOctober, 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 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.
-
He is currently sponsoring 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 on-going
in Germany. The second is Valor, a movie that deals with the Niger Delta and
Boko Haram issues and is also at post production stage.
-
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.
Away
from the above, Prince Tonye played a praise-worthy part in the resolution of
the Buguma crisis that engulfed the ancient city. For him, it was the Buguma
crisis that made him get involved in Rivers State politics. He was a member of
the Niger Delta Committee who drew up the Niger Delta Technical Committee
Report during the heydays of militancy in the Niger/Delta region, before
amnesty was granted the freedom fighters but nothing much was done about it on
the part of the FG by way of implementing it (the report) to the last letter.
At the time he held sway as the sub-Committee Chairman of the Niger Delta
Subcommittee on Vision 2020 set up by the late President, Umar Yar’Ardua,
Princewill did what most present crop of politicians would not have done by
resigning his position - Sub-committee Chair of the Niger Delta Subcommittee as
a result of the bombardment of Guaramatu Kingdom by Federal Government forces
to demonstrate his protest.
As a thoughtful
democrat, Prince Tonye has billboards located at strategic points in Port
Harcourt with different soul-searching and thought provoking inscriptions which
include; “Have a forgiving spirit …. We all make mistakes, that’s why pencils
have erasers”, “remember the youths because the young shall grow”, “remember
the elderly because you too will grow old”, “you are blessed to bless others”,
“free food dey run bele, work for your money”, “if you truly believe, the
unbelievable becomes not only possible but popular” etc.
From the foregoing,
it is clear that this humane business mogul cum politician has lived up to some
of the inscriptions captured in his billboards even though he does not hold any
political post. Keep up the good work you are doing.
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