By Hector Spiff
Prince Tonye Princewill, son of the Kalabari monarch and Rivers State Labour Party Guber Candidate in the just concluded selection, emerged on the streets of Port Harcourt with the familiar gesture we know him for humanity. He was sighted inside the premises of the Federal Government College, Rumuokoro, recently talking to staff, students and the Principal. The Prince graduated from FGC Port Harcourt in 1985.
It was gathered that Princewill’s visit to the school was actually for a needs assessment, based on a request by his class of 85’s desire to see and hear first-hand, the challenges and needs of their Alma Mater. They plan a mega 30 year reunion for December this year under the theme, “Coming back home to do good.”
On his arrival, the Prince, petroleum engineer, project manager, turned politician was taken on a tour of the school facilities by the Principal and some management staff of the college. The 4-hour non-stop and detailed tour exposed most of the issues facing the school. From huge unpaid NEPA bills, an inaccessible e-library, insufficient classroom furniture to internal roads that will bring tears to your eyes, poor drainage, extremely dilapidated infrastructure, snake friendly elephant grass that could do with landscaping and a few thousand students who would appreciate and benefit immensely from genuine mentoring.
In his comments, Prince Princewill commended a Federal Government Initiative called STEP B, for some of their critical intervention projects and urged them to please do more. He also assured the Principal and staff that he will take their challenges back to his mates in the FGC 85 set, to collaborate and come back with an intervention plan that will be both visible and lasting. He urged all former students to remember where they came from. No matter the institution. Giving back, no matter how little is a duty.
After the tour, Princewill took out time to interact with some of the students in their classes and was quite impressed with their level of exposure and intelligence in spite of the challenges. In her reaction to the visit, the Principal, Mrs. Onyeama, thanked the Prince and his team for the visit, and promised to continue to do her best to maintain the glory and standard of the school.
