The Gifts Of Capricorn: Celebratins a Prince and a King

Written by Eze Chukwuemeka Eze Thursday, 12 January 2012

The astrological Zodiac consists of 12 sun signs, which adherents believe govern human fate. Capricorn is the tenth sign—and one of the Zodiac’s four cardinal symbols. It lies in the constellation Capricornus: Where the Sun arrives at roughly December 22nd (the winter solstice) and leaves around January 20th. Individuals born during this period are dubbed “Capricorns”.

 So here we have it: A father and his son, a King and a Prince, born under this Sun sign, on the same day. Both King T.J.T Princewill (Amachree XI), The Amanyanabo of the Kalabari Kingdom, and Prince Tonye Princewill, a premier politician in Rivers State, are Capricorns; and both have birthdays on January 4th.

 Believers in astrology will read one meaning into this extraordinary coincident, while those with a religious bent may derive another. I too find the shared astrological traitsof father and son and the timing of their birth, so close to that of another revered Capricorn, highly evocative.

 True, these synchronous births are a mere accident. Nevertheless, this unique anniversary is an inspiring and apt occasion to celebrate two important personages, with whom I am professionally involved.

 Over the past five years, their warm embrace has made my work, as a publicist, more of an adventure than a job. They seem more like hosts than employers.

 Hence I have penned this panegyric, capitalizing on the season, with its astrological and religious symbolism, to express my appreciation.

 Astrologically, they say, Capricorn is all about hard work. Those born under this sign happily put in extra hours—aware that this will get them to the top.

 Life is one big project for these folks, who are dedicated to reaching their goals. They are practical and methodical, tackling tasks one step at a time.

 Scholars differ on the birth date of Jesus Christ. But Christian tradition holds that the Messiah arrived on December 25th—making Him a Capricorn.

 Accordingly, our own Capricorns, a father and his sole offspring, share a Sun sign with the King of Kings, himself an only son!

 Before I proceed with this paean though, be apprised that the celebrants are earthly beings from Buguma in Asari Toru Local Government Area (L.G.A.), Kalabari territory!

 Kalabari is an Ijaw-speaking kingdom, consisting of 33 communities’ in the Akuku-Toru, Degema and Asari-Toru L.G.A.s, with Buguma as the capital.

 The Amachree lineage started with “Amakiri I” (Amachree I) in 1770, although the kingship itself dates back at least to the 1600s.

 The Kingdom has not been the same, since Professor Theophilus JacobTom Princewill’s coronation on March 23, 2002.

 Academically, Princewill’s climb to the peak commenced in 1935, at Buguma’s famous Baptist School. He was just five—the youngest ever to enrol.

 Wielding a Ph. D. in Microbiology, from Leeds University, England (1975), Princewill won acclaim in his field, publishing over 30 articles in scientific Journals, between 1965 and 1988!

 A socially committed King, the Amanyanabo is striving to alleviate poverty and restiveness through his Amachree XI Scholarship Scheme, now in its third edition.

 During a ceremony at Buguma last June, The King handed over N5, 100,000to the project Coordinator, as financial support for 94 students from Rivers State’s 23 L.G.A.s.

 The Amachree XI Scheme uniquely applies to all L.G.A.s, irrespective of ethnicity and targets the highly strategic disciplines of Law, Engineering, Agriculture, Medicine, Environmental Science and Computer Science.

 Intriguingly, the project is now a father-son affair—after the timely intervention of Prince Tonye Princewill’s River Drill Group. This enabled the Scheme to add 44 new beneficiaries to the original 50 of the first edition.

 Amachree XI, despite his age, eagerly answers the call of duty. He is Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers and has sat on the state’s Advisory Council (1999-2007) as well as its seminal Peace and Reconciliation Committee (2006 to 2007).

 This civic mindedness has earned him many accolades and awards, including the Grass Roots Royal Father Of The Year--presented during an epochal ceremony at Buguma City in 2007 by Silver Doors Concept Initiatives.

 In the words of Alabo Opuda G. Batubo, Kariboye-Batubo V1, the Chief Prince of Batubo Group of Houses, “There are Kings and there are Kings”. It is not sitting on the throne that matters, he said, “but being endowed with the wisdom to lead”.

 A leader of Kings, the Amanyanabo is a fierce defender of Kalabari traditions and an ardent exponent of a constitutionally defined role for traditional rulers.

 The Oba of Benin’s comment, during an Ahmadou Bello University commencement in the1980s, comes to mind.

 With Sam Nujoma, then a guerilla leader, seated on the dais, the Oba said, “I too am a freedom fighter, struggling to liberate tradition from the clutches of modernity”. This, I believe, reflects the spirit, if not the letter, of the King’s convictions.

 As a leader, the King has, as Silver Doors put it, “a high sustainability performance index”-- based on the social impact of his decisions and actions within the Kalabari Kingdom.

 No wonder President Goodluck Jonathan conferred on him, the title of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR)—a title meant only for Nigeria’s best.

 King Princewill has, therefore, reached the pinnacle in both his personal and professional life: Superbly confirming his postulated status as a Capricorn par excellence.

 Now, to Prince Tonye Princewill: The sole sustaining link in the lineage of the renowned Amachree dynasty. Bred as an aristocrat, with the gift of conversation and oratory, his persona affirms the wisdom of the old folk-saying, “Like Father, Like Son”.

 Status aside, the Prince is hard working and enterprising. He has kicked and clawed his way upward, in true Capricorn fashion.