Anambra State governor, Chukwuma Soludo mourned the tragic death of the Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria’s Access Holdings, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, his wife, and son in a helicopter accident in California, United States of America (USA), on Friday.
In a statement released by Christian Aburime, the Press Secretary to Soludo, He said, “By his death, Nigeria has lost one of its most brilliant minds in the financial services sector. Mr. Wigwe was not only a prominent Nigerian banker and entrepreneur but also a personal friend of the Governor.
“As a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Governor Soludo had the privilege of witnessing firsthand Mr. Wigwe’s innovative approach to banking and his instrumental role during the Bank Consolidation in driving the growth and expansion of Access Bank, both within Nigeria and internationally.
“His leadership extended far beyond Access Bank. Mr. Wigwe was a pillar of the Nigerian business community, a champion for economic development, an avid educationist and a true visionary who consistently pushed boundaries for growth and development.
His contributions to the banking sector, and to Nigeria as a whole, will be long remembered.
“Mr. Wigwe’s legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched, the institutions he built, such as the Wigwe University, and the inspiration he provided to generations of youth, aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders.
He added that Wigwe will be deeply missed, but never forgotten.
Governor Soludo’s deepest condolences go out to the Wigwe family, Access Bank and his associates during this incredibly difficult time.
May they find solace in the outpouring of love and support from their loved ones and the wider Nigerian community.
Lamenting earlier over the incident on his social media handle, Governor Soludo, who said he and Wigwe were together just two weeks ago with a promise to meet again this week, said he was speechless to hear that the Access Bank CEO is no more.
The Governor, while attesting that Mr. Wigwe lived a life of impact and purpose, also expressed his sad feelings on the suddenness of his demise, which he said, had denied humanity the much more the deceased had to offer.
“To think that we were together about two weeks ago with a promise to meet again this week makes the announcement of Herbert’s death tragic.
“This is another stark reminder of the ephemerality of life. While Herbert lived a life of impact and purpose, I am pained that there was much more he had for humanity that his sudden exit has denied us.
“I am just speechless!” Governor Soludo tributarily wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday.
In the same view, the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has joined the rest of the country to mourn the tragic death of top banker Mr. Herbert Wigwe and some members of his family in an air crash in the United States.
The Governor similarly sent his heartfelt condolences to the family of Mr. Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, who died in the same crash.
Governor AbdulRazaq in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye said the incident was a huge loss to not just the Nigerian business community but to the entire country and its people who would miss the immense impacts of the two businessmen.
The Governor asked God Almighty to repose their souls and give comfort to their families and the rest of the country at this difficult moment.
Dominica Nwabufo
Comments are closed.