The news of the death of Council Chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government Area in Rivers State, Chief Odiari Princewill, came on the early hours of Thursday, 27 May, 2020 to the shock of everyone who heard the news.
Those who knew him wouldn’t expect that he would die so suddenly so the news of his death was received with grief by his political associates and those who knew him as well close family relatives.
The Chairman of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, had released a statement on his death and said that the party was in mourning for losing such an illustrious “patriot”.
In the statement, Ambassador Akawor said: “The State Secretariat of the People’s Democratic Party is in great mourning for losing such a quality patriot. We pray that God Almighty will console his family, and our dear Governor, His Excellency, Chief Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, as well as our entire party members in the state.”
He had said that the news was depressing and sent his condolences on behalf of the party to the deceased’s family and entire Kalabari kingdom and the governor of the state.
The statement said: “It is a great loss but as Christians we believe it is the will of God for him to visit our Lord at this point in time. It is emotional and depressing. I send my condolences to his immediate family, the entire Kalabari Kingdom and His Excellency, Chief Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, the Governor of Rivers State”.
The late local government chairman was a staunch member of the ruling People’s Democratic Party in the state and was local government chairman on the party’s platform having won council elections on ticket of the party.
In 2019, he was recognized as Overall Best Performing Local Government Chairman in the state by a civil society group – Civil Society Coalition on Local Government Performance – which keeps record of development at grassroots level.
The group said they gave him the recognition because they discovered he performed excellently more than his peers in electricity supply, human capital development and other infrastructures in the 13 wards of the local government area.
A member of the civil society group, Mr Emmanuel Nkweke, said at the time that the council chairman whom they awarded distinguished himself on how he performed among other council chairmen.
At the time, Chairman of the occasion, Arc Bishop (Prof.) Chidi Ehirindo, had asked other council chairmen to feel challenged and increase their performance so they would leave a legacy for people to remember them for.
Chief Princewill dedicated his award to people of the local government area who he said gave him opportunity to serve and had attributed his achievements to inspiration he got from governor of the state.
Alabo – as he was popularly referred – the late Odiari Princewill aside from being politician was also Kalabari Prince. He was also a businessman and social crusader who supported Chief Nyesom Wike in his new vision for Rivers State.
He became member of the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI) in his local government area to support the vision of Chief Wike who wanted emancipation for Rivers State from those who were in power.
He was attacked alongside others several times for supporting Chief Wike in his vision to emancipate Rivers State and after Wike became governor he continued to stand behind him.
A writer said the record of political development in the local government area would not be complete unless Chief Odiari Princewill’s name would be mentioned as a “vibrant and indispensable politician”.
The writer said the council chairman was one of grassroots politicians instrumental in victory recorded by the People’s Democratic Party in the local government area in 1999 elections, and in 2015 general elections.
According to him, the late council chairman would be likened to revered leaders and fathers of politics in the local government area in the likes of Hon. Eddie Dakoru, Barrister W. H. Kio Lawson and Hon. Ellis Dokubo. Others would include Chief I. G. Warmate, Hon. Dagogo Princewill and others.
It’s sad that the council chairman would die when he could have done more to develop his local government area and continued to support the state governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, in developing the state.
