The Pastor and Our Political Odyssey: The Genesis -By Kingsley Wenenda Wali

Since that mid-day I stepped into his conference room and met with him for a one-on-one, for the first time in our lives, Tonye has come out to me in different ways. I mean like I found him annoying, but humble at the same time. Strange, right? Very largely misunderstood and most of the conclusions about him have been products of mis-judgment. But again, is that not how many good relationships start – knowing, storming and then bonding?

To start with, when I told him that my friends and I wanted him to run for governorship of Rivers State, the dude just looked at me, probably wondering who my friends and I were. He generally wanted to know what my opinion was about the bile-filled politics in Rivers State, and if I thought it was worth the risk of abandoning what he had spent all his life building at Sahara Energy. I responded that somebody has to come up with a clean-up programme, and that we believed he had what was required to start the exercise.

After the initial back and forth, I dropped our proposal and left, expecting a positive response to the clarion call.  However, I was convinced that I just met with some patriot who was deeply disturbed about the general situation in his home state. He knew what the issues were and obviously wanted things done differently, so the people could live a better life and better chances. He was indeed in touch with home.

Well, he called me the next day to ask for what I did for a living. He explained that his question was in the context of the depth of the proposal I gave to him. Of course, I took that as a compliment and went to work with my “men dem” without any further conversation or approval from Tonye. That approval never really came, and we didn’t stop campaigning either. He later came into the race and began campaigning at a different level.  He has since remained passionate, focused and determined.

This is the story of the beginning of our political relationship. Since that mid-day encounter, I have had to “move on” from time to time were neglecting things that demanded immediate attention. Even when we disagreed, Tonye seemed to understand what I was driving at and he would go for the substance. His typical response would be that we needed to be careful not to do things like the typical politician.  “I have always told you that I’m not the typical politician. I’m just focused on accomplishing the task. It’s the way I’m wired. I believe that once I’m given a task, I just focus on accomplishing that task”.  That posture is certainly refreshing; some politicians are too focused on themselves and their ego; the condition of life of the people out there is not the reason they seek office. 

Well, we are not wired to be perfect, and Tonye will always invite you to always call his attention to what you believe he was doing wrong.  He listens and takes notes that he always reviews and acts on.

Never one to insist he was right. Or to raise his voice. He would rather raise the quality of the conversation, while taking his notes.  No part of the discussion/conversation is left out in his note. He insists that consultations should be made and confrontations MUST be avoided. Rather, no stone should be left unturned in trying to win people over, instead of forcing them to accept your point of view. After all, the project is about service to the people. For Tamunotonye, the people should be the main act and every other thing secondary.

The centerpiece of the Tonye Cole campaign has always been about the people. The ordinary Rivers man and others residing and doing business here in Rivers State. And it’s immaterial whether you are in APC, PDP, SDP, LP, PRP, NNPP, ADC, UHF etc. That’s why he says that TONYE COLE IS FOR US. For him, this entire project is about the ordinary people who have been starved of good governance. It is not about power or ego. Sahara Energy offered him those and more, and for less stress. Certainly not because of the purse.

Tonye believes he has a contract with God to engage directly with the people and not through jamborees. He would rather meet them in their “discomfort zones” and not when they are made up with party politics paraphernalia such as face caps, t-shirts and wrappers. He wants to get up close and personal with the real people who need his services and attention.

Granted that human beings can be insatiable, his spartan lifestyle, despite what’s at his disposal, is proof of the fact he wants to come and help change our story of POLITICS EVERYWHERE, EVERYBODY AND EVERY-TIME.   When Tonye literally walked away from Sahara Energy, he was determined to completely devote himself and his time to working with like-minded others in making Rivers State a better place.   That commitment has not changed; in fact, he is even more determined now than at the time of his first missionary journey.

To ensure that he made his transition from the corporate leadership in the private sector to the contested political space of the public sector, Tonye has spent quality time listening to, and learning from, renowned academics and outstanding political leaders in order to fully appreciate what makes the best mix in the world of government and governance and, especially, in the relationship between political leaders and the people.  And to experience how all that comes together, he got admitted into the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).  He came back more prepared to make this state a better place for EVERYBODY- regardless of party, religion, tribe, gender and social status.

My dear friends, brothers, sisters, and neighbours, 12th of October marked the beginning of campaigns for the governorship of Rivers and other States in our country. But for us here in Rivers State, it is a quiet reminder of how bad things are, and how fortune has turned against us because we entrusted our destiny to people who are strangers to our needs and aspirations. People who do not care about good governance, but care only about crude politics and their larger-than-life ego and how to enrich themselves.

This is another opportunity to engage with our Rivers son, Tonye, whose only motivation and inclination is to come and render service and restore the glory and pride of the Rivers man. That successful Rivers son who after succeeding in building a world class institution, sees the electoral contest as an opportunity to bring his skill sets and those of his peers in the State to build a better Rivers State for ALL OF US, the same way he and his peers in other States built Sahara Energy and associated companies into a global brand.

For him, the happiness of the individual, no matter how successful he or she has been, is not in collecting accolades and amassing wealth. It is rather in the collective happiness of his people. Tonye Cole is for us because he is for the people.

Like I will always say, a man who can afford champagne and turn away from revelry and frivolities, cannot steal your bottle of beer.  Tamunotonye can be trusted with the security of our commonwealth and he will not play Robin Hood. He understands the value of industry and investments, and will therefore not trivialize governance. Good governance principles made Sahara Energy a global brand. Let us cast our lot with someone who has a track record of hard-work, integrity and is result-oriented. Tonye will be worth our confidence.  He will repay our trust.

Wenenda Wali, a Port-Harcourt based businessman and good governance advocate, is the National Leader of Unity House Foundation (UHF)