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Tag: Wigwe

  • Wigwe: Preliminary report says adverse weather may have caused crash

    Wigwe: Preliminary report says adverse weather may have caused crash

    • Fuselage fragmented, cockpit, cabin destroyed

    Preliminary investigation report on the recent helicopter crash claimed lives of the Nigerian businessman Dr. Herbert Wigwe and five others in the USA suggests that the tragedy might have been caused by adverse weather conditions.

    The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), quoting witnesses, says in the report that the weather conditions on the fateful day were characterised by rain and a mix of snow.

    “Reports from law enforcement and eyewitnesses also indicated that several individuals travelling along Interstate 15 (I-15) observed a ‘fireball’ in the area, prompting calls to emergency services,’ it adds in the report just forwarded to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).

    The wreckage of the helicopter was subsequently discovered in the high, mountainous desert and scrub-brush covered terrain near Halloran Springs, California.

    The crash also claimed the lives of Wigwe’s spouse Doreen, their son Chizi, a former Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Mr. Abimbola Ogunbanjo and two crew members.

    The NSIB yesterday confirmed receipt of the preliminary report on the crash of Airbus Helicopter EC130B4 near Halloran Springs, California.

    Details of the report, according to the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the NSIB, Mrs Bimbo Oladeji, include: valuable information regarding the flight path, accident scene, and initial findings on the wreckage examination.

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    She said following the accident, the NSIB has offered its full cooperation to the NTSB, the lead agency investigating the accident.

    The NSIB, in accordance with the prerogative granted by the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO’s Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, has the right to access investigation information on aviation accidents and incidents involving Nigerian-registered aircraft or Nigerian citizens in 193 countries that are member states of the ICAO.

    She said the NSIB has been actively engaging with the NTSB since the beginning of the investigation.

    In the preliminary report shared by the NTSB, it was revealed that NSIB investigators, in collaboration with other relevant authorities and stakeholders such as David Gerlach FAA, Steve Gould Orbic Air LLC, Vincent Ecalle Bureau d’Enquetes et d’Analyses, Seth Buttner; Airbus Helicopters, Bryan Larimore; Safran Group have conducted on-site examinations and analysis of available data to determine the factors contributing to the accident.

    She said initial findings suggest that the helicopter suffered catastrophic damage upon impact, resulting in fragmentation of major components.

    The preliminary report on the Airbus Helicopter EC130B4, registered as N130CZ and operated by Orbic Air, LLC, under Part 135 regulations for on-demand flights, outlines crucial details surrounding the tragic incident.

    The report reads: “Departing from Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California, the helicopter embarked on a journey to Boulder City Municipal Airport in Nevada via Palm Springs International Airport.

     “However, during its flight, adverse weather conditions characterised by rain and a mix of snow, were encountered, as reported by witnesses.

    “Reports from law enforcement and eyewitnesses also indicated that several individuals travelling along Interstate 15 (I-15) observed a “fireball” in the area, prompting calls to emergency services.

    Subsequently, the wreckage of the helicopter was discovered in the high, mountainous desert and scrub-brush covered terrain near Halloran Springs, California.

    “Analysis of the accident site revealed a scattered debris pattern about 300 ft along a 120° magnetic, indicating a trajectory from an initial impact point which was a 1.5 ft deep, 12 ft long and 10 ft wide ground crater, containing fragments of the right landing gear skid, cockpit wiring, and cabin floor structure. The right skid step protruded upward at a 45° angle at the extreme eastern edge of the ground crater.

    “All major helicopter components were identified at the accident site. The helicopter’s fuselage was fragmented, and the cockpit and cabin were destroyed.

     ‘Some debris and vegetation displayed thermal damage, indicative of the extent of the collision’s force.

     “The flight control tubes and linkages leading up to the flight control servos were fragmented and continuity could not be verified.

     “All three pitch control links were attached at the swashplate and blade pitch change horns. The main rotor blades were fragmented and broomstrawed, and the blade sleeves and tips were present.

    “Data analysis utilised sources including automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data, operator personnel reports, and eyewitness accounts to reconstruct the flight path and sequence of events leading to the accident.”

    The NSIB said it remains committed to engaging the NTSB to receive the public docket of the investigation, which will comprise the compendium of information gathered throughout the investigation.

    This, she said, includes photographs, interview summaries, documentation and other relevant data that will give a clearer picture of the factors that led to the accident.

     Commenting on the accident, the Director General of the NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh, expressed gratitude for the cooperation extended by the NTSB, which has facilitated the sharing of vital information.

    “We will continue to work closely with relevant authorities leading the investigation, including the NTSB, to gather additional evidence and information necessary for a comprehensive understanding of the circumstances that led to this tragic event,” Badeh said.

    The preliminary report emphasised that the information presented is subject to further investigation and analysis, with updates expected as additional evidence is gathered and assessed, ensuring a thorough understanding of the accident and its underlying causes.

     He said: “It is important to clearly state that the preliminary report is not the final determination of the cause of the accident. Additional investigations and analysis are required before any conclusions can be drawn.

    “The NSIB will continue to engage the NTSB and other stakeholders throughout the investigation process.

    “Further updates on the progress of the investigation will be provided as significant developments emerge.”

  • Papa/Mama Wigwe: Why do bad things happen to good people?

    Papa/Mama Wigwe: Why do bad things happen to good people?

    No amount of condolences, prayers, sympathies and commiseration could ever fathom the depth of the grief of Papa Shyngle and Mama Stella Wigwe. And the reason is simple: no parents should ever have to bury any of their children. The reverse should always be the case. And this is a deep principle of humanity that is not restricted by culture or society. It is just simply the natural order of things. It is fundamental—and indeed a thing of joy for all parents—that they would be buried by their children. When the reverse happens, and one loses a child, then the entirety of one’s existence is shrunk into that indissoluble vacuum of pain and grief. The depth of that sorrow becomes bottomless when one loses more than one child. Since I heard about the terrible calamity that befell this beautiful octogenarian couple, I have come to fathom the depth of what Aeschylus, the ancient Greek tragedian, meant when he said, “There is no pain so great as the memory of joy in present grief.”

    This brief statement sums up the depth of the bereavement of Papa and Mama Wigwe: their minds would be clouded simultaneously with remembrances of the births of their sons, their upbringing and naughtiness while growing up, their struggles to raise them as godly as God would permit, their collective memories of moments of joys and happy events and incidences, their family traditions and Christian values, the successes of their children, and many more. All this while their entire being register as starkly as it can the fact that a second child just died with his family when they had barely dealt with the pain of losing the first one. But there is more. Papa and Mama Wigwe are solid Christians. I can attest to that. And they have been serving God for as long as my memory of relating with them (albeit from a distance) could permit. Since this tragic incidence happened, the first verse of the first chapter of Job has run ceaselessly in my mind: “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” This is my summation of Papa and Mama Wigwe.

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    And yet, they lost two children. The story of Job is one of the most challenging books of the Bible. And its challenge is purely because of demonstrating one of the cornerstones of a deep theological paradox: how could a good God create a world that is filled with evil, or even permit those committed to him to be ravaged by such evils? Since God created the world and certified that his creation is good, how did evil creep in? The problem of evil in a world created by a good God has troubled Christian theologians and apologetics, from St. Augustine to Ravi Zacharias, for centuries. Losing two fully grown children that one had trained to such a period in their lives does not square with the joy of bringing them into the world and the sacrifices of upbringing. And yet, Osita and Herbert left their parents in the world.

    The theological problem caused by the life and trauma of Job in the bible also raises a larger philosophical question I will like to touch in this lamentation. For anyone who has read the book of Job and has witnessed the tragedy that good people have encountered in life, the question is: why do bad things keep happening to good people? Papa and Mama Wigwe are good people. Both have been together for 56 six years, more than five decades of a love story sweetened by the birth of six children, including Osita and Herbert. When in an interview, Papa reminisced about Osita— “That boy was one in a million. He had the attributes of a daughter; he had the attributes of a son. He was a solution provider to all family problems”—I have a deep and intimate sense of what Papa Wigwe was talking about. I encountered Osita as a graduate student at the University of Ibadan (he was then a final-year engineering student), and I knew him deeply at many of his beautiful and humane personality. Pa Wigwe was then the DG at the Nigerian Television Authority, and that was how I met him and Mama for the first time.

    Osita was a very brilliant young man. I know this because we were both members of the University of Ibadan debating team, and I had a first-hand experience of how an engineering student could be so deeply knowledgeable and magisterial in a field usually dominated by students from the humanities and the social sciences. When I raised the issue of why he was an engineering student and not in, say, the humanities, his response gave me a solid insight into the deep flow of affection between father and son, and how that led to Osita’s desire to follow in the footsteps of his father the engineer. During a period when I was still searching for an intellectual enlightenment, rather than a spiritual one, I was immensely fascinated with Osita Wigwe, his intellectual brilliance, deep family values and pure spiritual commitment. It was essentially due to him that I visited the RCCG for the first time in 1986, and would eventually become a staunch member much later. Which was why I was baffled and very confused as to how such a spiritual father could experience the death of such a godly son—the same way I could still never wrap my head round the death of Pastor Enoch Adeboye’s son, Dare. And then twenty-seven years later after Osita’s demise, as if God still has some unfathomable purpose for Pa and Ma Wigwe, Osita’s kid-brother is taken.

    Questions and more puzzling questions. Who knows why the Almighty would allow Job to be tempted? Who knows why sit-tight African leaders, the very incarnate of the diabolical, who sit on the people’s democratic liberation, would just not topple over and be transited? Job imparted an everlasting lesson that each one of us increasingly come to internalize and try as much as we have it within us to live with: humans are born to troubles. In philosophical terms, for Fredrich Nietzsche, “To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” This is one juncture where the pastoral calling would be a heavy burden for Papa and Mama Wigwe to bear. This is a time when it would be justified for even a role model with a spiritual responsibility to give vent to his or her doubts and frustrations with life and with God. This is a Job moment. It is a moment to reflect back to June 5, 1997, drag that reflection to the fiery trauma of February 9, 2023, and then try to connect the dots in existential and spiritual terms. Where could the hands of the Almighty be in all this? How could the meaning and purpose be uncovered?

    Eventually, we all—believers, agnostics and non-believers alike—must bow before the inscrutable universe, and the denseness of the mystery that pervades all we have to deal with in life. For Christians, “great is the mystery of godliness” (I Timothy 3:16). Great is also the mystery of why good people like Papa and Mama Wigwe needed to suffer the death of two sons. We can theorize all we want about why terrible and traumatic things happen to good people. And yet we must eventually just accept that we are powerless against the Divine Mind that crafted a world where humans have survived—borne on the wings of faith—the harshest, cruelest and most challenging of all trials. Indeed, there are those who have passed through the excruciating valley of the shadow of death, but received grace and mercy to look back in gratitude for God’s deep wisdom in holding the world together, and holding us together at the critical moments of our needs.

    Now close to their nine decades in life, Papa Shyngle and Mama Stella Wigwe have walked with God for far too long not to be able to recognize His presence at this moment of unbearable sorrow—no matter how dim that presence might be now. No matter how intrusive and heavy the question of why the hand of the Almighty was heavy upon them, they must find comfort in Jesus’ sorrowful lamentation on the cross: “My Father, my Father, why have you forsaken me?” Papa and Mama Wigwe are knowledgeable about the purpose behind the crucifixion of the Lord; may they be able to find a good grip on God’s wisdom that mold us all in the fiery furnace of life.

    Let me conclude this difficult homily with William Blake, the English poet: “Can I see another’s woe, and not be in sorrow too? Can I see another’s grief, and not seek for kind relief?” But I ask: How much sympathy, weeping, lamentation or homilies can comfort one in perplexing loss? We can only drown our grief in the assurance that God—the owner of the universe and our lives—knows what he is doing.

    When peace like a river attendeth my way,

    when sorrows like sea billows roll;

    whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,

    “It is well, it is well with my soul.”

    It is well with Papa Shyngle and Mama Stella; it is well with the entire Wigwe family.

    • Prof. Olaopa, Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission, Abuja

  • Wigwe: NSIB receives U.S. preliminary report on crash

    Wigwe: NSIB receives U.S. preliminary report on crash

    The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) says it has received the preliminary report from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding the crashed helicopter that killed Dr Herbert Wigwe and five others.

    Mrs Bimbo Oladeji, Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NSIB, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Lagos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on Feb. 9, Wigwe, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, his wife, son and a former Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, as well as some others were onboard the ill-fated Airbus Helicopter EC130B4.

    Oladeji said that following the accident, the NSIB offered its full cooperation to the NTSB, the lead agency investigating the accident which claimed the lives of six individuals.

    The crash occured at the Interstate 15 in Halloran Springs, California, U.S.A.

    According to Oladeji, initial findings suggest that the helicopter suffered catastrophic damage upon impact, resulting in fragmentation of major components.

    She said: “The preliminary report on the Airbus Helicopter EC130B4, registered as N130CZ and operated by Orbic Air, LLC, under Part 135 regulations for on-demand flights, outlines crucial details surrounding the tragic incident.

    “Departing from Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California, the helicopter embarked on a journey to Boulder City Municipal Airport in Nevada via Palm Springs International Airport.

    “However, during its flight, adverse weather conditions characterised by rain and a mix of snow, were encountered, as reported by witnesses.

    “Reports from law enforcement and eyewitnesses also indicated that several individuals travelling along Interstate 15 (I-15) observed a “fireball” in the area, prompting calls to emergency services.

    “Subsequently, the wreckage of the helicopter was discovered in the high, mountainous desert and scrub-brush covered terrain near Halloran Springs, California.

    “Analysis of the accident site revealed a scattered debris pattern about 300 ft along a 120° magnetic, indicating a trajectory from an initial impact point which was a 1.5 ft deep, 12 ft long and 10 ft wide ground crater.

    “Containing fragments of the right landing gear skid, cockpit wiring, and cabin floor structure. The right skid step protruded upward at a 45° angle at the extreme eastern edge of the ground crater.

    “All major helicopter components were identified at the accident site. The helicopter’s fuselage was fragmented, and the cockpit and cabin were destroyed.

    “Some debris and vegetation displayed thermal damage, indicative of the extent of the collision’s force. The flight control tubes and linkages leading up to the flight control servos were fragmented and continuity could not be verified.

    “All three pitch control links were attached at the swashplate and blade pitch change horns. The main rotor blades were fragmented and broomstrawed, and the blade sleeves and tips were present.

    “Data analysis utilised sources including automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data, operator personnel reports, and eyewitness accounts to reconstruct the flight path and sequence of events leading to the accident.”

    Oladeji said that the NSIB, in accordance with the prerogative granted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO’s) Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, had the right to access investigation information.

    “On aviation accidents and incidents involving Nigerian-registered aircraft or Nigerian citizens in 193 countries that are member states of the ICAO.

    “The NSIB  has been actively engaging with the NTSB since the beginning of the investigation.

    Read Also: Biakolo, Ijewere and Wigwe: A peerless triumvirate

    She said that as the investigation progresses, NSIB will be committed to engaging the NTSB to receive the public docket of the investigation, which will comprise the compendium of information gathered throughout the investigation.

    “This typically includes photographs, interview summaries, documentation, and other relevant data that will give a clearer picture of the factors that led to the accident.”

    Also, the Director-General of the NSIB, Capt. Alex Badeh, expressed gratitude for the cooperation extended by the NTSB, which has facilitated the sharing of vital information.

    “We will continue to work closely with relevant authorities leading the investigation, including the NTSB, to gather additional evidence and information necessary for a comprehensive understanding of the circumstances that led to this tragic event,” Badeh.

    (NAN)

  • Biakolo, Ijewere and Wigwe: A peerless triumvirate

    Biakolo, Ijewere and Wigwe: A peerless triumvirate

    • By Oma Djebah

    I have been deeply distressed, pained with the shocking death of three valuable exemplary figures who were behemoths of the finest tradition in their respective crafts! Emevwo Biakolo, a colossal literary scholar and founding Dean of the School of Media & Communication, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, Emmanuel Ijewere, a foremost chartered accountant and former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), and Herbert Wigwe, co-founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Ltd, all passed away at a most difficult period. It is unimaginable!

    With the sad, unsettling, calamitous demise of these peerless ace professionals, Nigeria has lost three invaluable gifts to humanity! Indeed, one remarkable element that distinguishes these three extraordinary men is that they were not only giants in their respective fields, having attained the very peak, commanding heights of their excellent, illustrious careers, but also that their  exceptional accomplishments will continue to serve as glowing lighthouse in an era of vanishing values!

    Ironically, Biakolo and Wigwe passed on same day while Ijewere’s demise was a little over a month ago. 

    It was only about a week ago, I received an email from the revered professor, apprising me of a pet endeavour which he was devoting his very precious time after retiring from the Pan-Atlantic University. His message was as eloquent, genial as usual, and with his customary imprimatur. Family Fortnightly, a newsletter, he had put together, was his latest adventure! But sadly, Friday, February 9, he died in his sleep in his Lekki, Lagos home! Professor Biakolo was a premier writer, an academic behemoth and a former member of the editorial board of The Guardian, whose unique storytelling style, sublimity of thoughts and elegance of prose were some of his very distinctive features. His enthralling weekly column was always a climate of captivating thoughts. A foremost writer, an iconic scholar of the finest tradition, quintessential teacher, and a true family man whose lofty deeds and towering reputation transcended boundaries! He was affable, kind, compassionate, and to boot, exceptionally principled. Biakolo was a premier university lecturer at Nigeria’s premier university, University of Ibadan and a visiting member of the editorial board of The Guardian when I first met him in 1988.

    At that time, I was in need of a temporary job at The Guardian, and a good friend of mine had casually referenced Dr Biakolo as an intensely empathic writer who would lend you a listening ear! I was equally told that the professor was, without exception, available only on Wednesdays at The Guardian for the newspaper’s editorial board meetings. Without any prior appointment, I went to the Oshodi-Isolo expressway office of the newspaper. Upon meeting him, the first thing I noticed about the venerable scholar was his infectious smile, which lightened my concerns. A great listener, with tremendous attention to details, after listening raptly to my mission, he took me straight to the office of the then managing director of the newspaper. “This young-man would make a good journalist,” he declared.  The managing director was to ask me to follow up! And thus began, my interest in The Guardian where I was to work, many years later, precisely in 1995, after Prof Biakolo had left for Botswana, as lecturer in English at the University of Botswana, Gaborone.

    Indeed, Nigeria has lost one of her most endowed scholars, treasured literary giants, and a classical Iroko whose influence resonated beyond the shores of the country!

    With his death, I have lost a very great teacher who took me under his wings some 36 years ago! He was a literary Iroko, who did not only build the School of Media & communications at PAU from its scratch but whose academic prowess and rich contributions to the body of knowledge in the field of Communications and Storytelling in the Global South, was strikingly unexampled. Until his death, he was an emeritus professor of Communication, School of Media & Communication, PAU, Lagos. Some of his ground-breaking scholarly works include; “Insurgency in Nigeria: The Niger Delta Experience’’, “Oral tradition, European Modernity and African Philosophy”, “Women in Conversation with an African Man on gender Issues”, and “Categories of Cross-Cultural Cognition and the African Condition.”

     For the late calm, charismatic and astute former president of the ICAN, past president of the Nigerian Red Cross Society and erstwhile chairman of the Institute of Directors (IoD), Ijewere, he has been like a very senior friend, counsellor for about 30 years. Our path first crossed in 1994 when I was a reporter, and we got introduced through a mutual friend. Friendly, simple and ever straightforward! I cherish deeply the privilege of knowing such a wonderful, down-to-earth business leader with immense wisdom. Each time one encountered him, one was always left with a sense of personal fulfilment and satisfaction on account of his simplicity of style and sublimity of wisdom. He also enriched my personal life with his presence at important occasions. In fact, during my wedding, Mr Ijewere and Prof J. P. Clark were among the first set of guests seated in the church, preceding many others.

    Born on October 30, 1946, in present day Plateau State, Ijewere studied in Lagos, Ijebu-Ode, Cameroon and the United Kingdom. He started his very distinguished accountancy career in 1965 in the UK, and later established his own firm in Nigeria in 1979, which blossomed and soared like an incredible eagle. Until his death, he was chairman and director of several companies with interests in banking, finance, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, logistics, etc.

    Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede and Wigwe nurtured an excellent business partnership that changed the banking sector in Nigeria. Perhaps, they were both the youngest founders of a commercial bank in Nigeria’s history in 2002! It was not therefore unexpected that the news of Wigwe’s death triggered uncontrollable wave of sadness across Nigeria. My encounter with Wigwe was through Aig-Imoukhuede, founding Group MD/CEO of Access Bank. I met Wigwe’s father, Pastor Shyngle Wigwe, now 89 years of age, for the first time, at the service of songs held in honour of the first governor of Delta State, Olorogun Felix Ibru at the Federal Palace hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos in 2016!

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     In his years as a banker, businessman, educationist, thought leader and champion of charitable causes, Wigwe impacted many lives. Following his tragic death in the ill-fated helicopter  which crashed in California last Friday, February 9, and also claimed the lives  of  his wife, Chizobu, their son and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, a  former group chairman of Nigerian Stock Exchange Group (NGX Group) and son of the late legendary industrialist, Chief Chris Ogunbanjo, Nigeria has lost  not just a resilient banking chief but also a peerless lover of education, tireless mastermind of lofty initiatives and a boundless family man whose strong commitment to  family values was quite impressive. The transformation of Access Bank into one of the five leading, first-rate financial institutions defines Wigwe’s resilience, strength of character and clear vision.

    The fragility of life is really telling. But for these exceptional professional behemoths, I can only find solace in the enduring, eternal words of Clare Harner, a famous US journalist whose poem in 1934 entitled “ Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep” remains consoling:

    “Do not stand at my grave and weep.   I am not there.

    I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow.

    I am the diamond glints on snow.

    I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

    I am the gentle autumn rain when you awaken in the morning hush.

    I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circled flight.

    I am the soft stars that shine at Night.

    Do not stand at my grave and cry. I am not there.

    I did not die.”

    As professional colossi, as stars that shine peerlessly, and twinkling like diamond glints, the triumvirate-Biakolo, Ijewere and Wigwe- are not dead! Their immortal accomplishments are huge legacies that live on!

    •Djebah, is immediate past ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Thailand.

  • Wigwe: Our traditional means will unravel mystery of his death – Monarch

    Wigwe: Our traditional means will unravel mystery of his death – Monarch

    • We are not comfortable with all the stories – Youth leader
    • Community insists on banker’s burial in hometown

    Gloom and despair defined the atmosphere in Isiokpo, a community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State on Thursday as the indigenes continued to mourn the tragic death of their illustrious son, reputable banker and philanthropist, Dr. Herbert Wigwe.

    Their faces welled up in tears as the reality of an event they had received with disbelief finally dawned on them. Wigwe, his wife and son had died horribly last Saturday after the chopper they boarded in the US crashed and what started like a rumour in Isiokpo became a painful reality.

    Isiokpo chiefs wept. Their women cried. Their youths were lost in melancholy and their children felt some vacuum. Since the incident, Isiokpo has been quiet. In fact, the entire Ikwerre Local Government Area felt the far-reaching sound of the fall of an Iroko tree in the wild. The Nigerian flag at the Ikwerre Local Government Headquarters located in the community was flown at half mast.

    Undoubtedly, Isiokpo lost a great soul. Their shinning light was extinguished abruptly, causing thick darkness to pervade the entire community. Wigwe, indeed, meant different things to all the stakeholders of his community. The women and widows called him husband. For the youths, he was their hope, source of inspiration and role model. The chiefs and the traditional ruling council saw him as the pillar of Isiokpo’s development and the bringer of peace.

    Little wonder everybody is mourning his exit. The community suspended all activities to reflect on the lives and times of Wigwe. In fact, markets, stalls and all business premises were shut in the community to mourn philanthropist Wigwe. The farmers abandoned their farmlands. Wigwe meant a lot for them.

    Isiokpo Kingdom immediately declared eight days of mourning in honour of their benefactor. To begin the mourning period, all the indigenes and non-indigenes wore black outfits. Many were completely dressed in black while others wore clothes with touches of black. Vehicular movement was skeletal. Most of the vehicles seen that day in Isiokpo belonged to persons who came from other parts of Ikwerre and the state to join the mourning.

    No market opened and no store sold anything on that day. All the busy roads of Ikwerre were dominated by persons in black carrying out processions in honour of Wigwe. Different groups of youths and women took over the procession. They sang sorrowful songs and dirges for Wigwe.

    At the palace of the Isiokpo Traditional Ruler, HRM King Blessing Wagor, were canopies erected for mourners. The entire place was congested.

    Others who could not join the procession were seen at the entrances of their houses sitting in melancholy and gazing into empty spaces. Some held their chins in their palms as they wondered what would become of their community without Wigwe.

    At the palace of the Isiokpo Traditional Ruler, HRM King Blessing Wagor, were canopies erected for mourners. The entire place was congested.

    He said: “We must traditionally bury him. He cannot be buried outside Isiokpo. He must be buried here. Isiokpo must find a way to probe his death. We must get to the root of the whole thing. Isiokpo is an ancient city. We must go back to our traditional way and find out what really killed Herbert Wigwe. If his death is natural, we will know. If it is from a human we will know.”

    His demands were echoed by Apostle Ezemoye Peter, the President of Isiokpo Youth Council and the Coordinating Chairman of all the Ikwerre community youth leaders, who said said Wigwe would be remembered for restoring the elusive peace in Isiokpo.

    Like the traditional institution, Peter called for a thorough probe of the circumstances that led to the copter crash that killed Wigwe.

    He said: “We are not too comfortable with the stories. We, the youths of Isiokpo are using this opportunity to call on the Federal Government, the state and the National Assembly to look into this and follow up investigations to know what actually happened.

    “We are not buying into the stories. It is a great loss to us and we can’t just lose a brother and father like that. We want the INTERPOL and the Nigerian government to find out what actually happened. 

    “I am not a pilot and I am not an engineer. But in my layman’s understanding, when the weather is bad, you don’t take off. So the engineering crew and the helicopter company should be investigated. We need a thorough investigation to see what really happened.”

    The President of Ikwerre Isiokpo Women Association, Christiana Ikpe, also said the women would not stop grieving over Wigwe’s death, insisting that Wigwe’s death was not natural.

    She said: “Wherever this death comes from, let the land of Isiokpo locate it and find them out. None of them will go free. He was everything to us. He never loved us to cry. He was always backing us. He was taking care of the widow and many people were feeding under him.”

    But why will the death of one man throw the entire community into maximum gloom? King Wagor said the personality of Wigwe was the reason behind the community-wide mourning.

    King Wagor described Wigwe as a special man to the community, saying he was championing the development of Isiokpo before his shocking demise. He said Wigwe fulfilled many promises he made to the community. But his death has truncated many other life-changing projects he promised the community.

    “Who will now complete the ongoing electricity project he initiated? Who will give us light?” the monarch lamented. He said Wigwe began an ambitious project of electrifying all the communities in Isiokpo before his death

    The monarch said: “He is a special man to us. We are crying and mourning him. God knows everything. I won’t ask God why. We have handed over everything to Him. May God give us the mind to endure it.

    “We relied on him. He came to develop Isiokpo. He was a wonderful person to us. He left many legacies in the community. He sited a university here. He made many promises. He promised us plenty things. We are in tears.

    “The light project He promised us is still ongoing. Who will give us light again? He has gone and we are in pains. What happens to our Xmas bonus? He used to supply rice all over Isiokpo. We enjoyed him and his death is painful. He was humble, honest and respectful.”

    The traditional ruler said Wigwe’s death had taught others to strive and make positive impact in their communities. He said if Wigwe had not left such legacies, the entire Isiokpo would not be mourning him.

    He said: “This death is an example to all of us. You must make impact in your community. If Herbert is not a good man, this crowd will not gather here today. We can’t be here crying. Let’s follow in Herbert Wigwe’s footsteps.”

    For the youths, Wigwe stood for hope and peace. Isiokpo was a war-torn community before Wigwe’s intervention. The youths were known for kidnapping, cultism and armed robbery. The area was initially deserted as people fled the community because of insecurity.

    Apostle Ezemoye Peter said Wigwe would be remembered for restoring the elusive peace in Isiokpo.

    Peter said: “Wigwe was one of those who brought peace in the land. One of the task he gave to me as a youth leader is ‘if the town is quiet and cool, if the youths are changing into getting themselves educated and integrated into the society, I will support them’. It was a task and we ensured we carried it out.  Everywhere has been transformed”.

    He said Wigwe also promised to place the university on the world map. He, however, said the late banker fulfilled the promise through his vision of recreating the Harvard University in Isiokpo.

    Peter said one of the ways he did that was through his decision to set up an ambitious university project, the Wigwe University, with a Harvard standard within the community.

    Quoting what Wigwe told the youths, he said: “Our late father and boss Wigwe came back to us and said, ‘I am bringing down  this university to our community and I am bringing down many of my friends to ensure that they put things in place that will put the community on the map’.”

    Peter insisted that Wigwe fulfilled that promise, adding that through the Wigwe University, Isiokpo had been etched on the world map.

    He said: “And I can tell you he did that. Isiokpo today is in the map of the world. Sometimes empowering the youth is not just about giving money. When they create an enabling environment for you to excel, it is empowerment. That is what has happened in Isiokpo.”

    The youth leader lamented the death of Wigwe, describing it as shocking and saying that the entire community had been crying since the incident occurred.

    Peter said: “The only way we can honour his death is to ensure that his legacies are sustained. That is the best way anyone can mourn him. We must protect all and ensure we actualise all his dreams and aspirations.

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    “His dreams and his name shouldn’t be allowed to go into extinction. He has done his own. The only thing left for the youth is to do their part.

    “We must protect all and ensure we actualise all his dreams and aspirations. His dreams and his name shouldn’t be allowed to go into extinction.

    “We are mourning him for eight days. But after today, activities will go on in the community on a low key. Wigwe did a lot for the community.”

    Perhaps, the women are the worst hit. Wigwe took care of them all, including the widows. The President of Ikwerre Isiokpo Women Association, Christiana Ikpe, said the women would not stop grieving over Wigwe’s death.

    Christiana said: “Herbert was a brave man and a great man. He didn’t eat alone and he loved his people. It is not everybody that made it that came home. But he made it and came back to give back to his community.

    “He was my cousin, our brother and our husband. Our hearts are bleeding. The entire Ikwerre Isiokpo are in tears. Ikwerre as a whole we are in tears. Though you don’t ask God question, some things will happen and you will ask questions. Where did this thing come from? We want to know.

    “This is a great shock in Isiokpo. We are crying for both his father and mother. It is only God that will console them. We can only tell them sorry the same way people are coming here to tell us sorry. Only God knows our hearts.”

    Emphasising how Wigwe rescued the community from instability, he said: “He was feeding everybody. Ikwerre land was hot before; kidnapping and killing everywhere. But he came and collected all our children and gave them employment. More than 2000 of our children are there working. Since then, Isiokpo and all Ikwerre land became calm because of his good heart.”

    At the massive site of Wigwe University located within the community, constructions are still ongoing. In fact, the general area is a construction site. An employee of the university, Godspower Brilliant Ezendu, who hails from Isiokpo described Wigwe as a father to all.

    He said: “He was a father to everybody. The work I am doing today is as a result of his project, the Wigwe University. This his singular project employed over 10,000 youths. People should try to imitate him.”

    The people of Isiokpo may take long to recover from the death of a man who floated different projects to rescue them from poverty, underdevelopment and unemployment. They are only praying that some of his projects such as the Wigwe University and the electricity project will not die with him.

  • Biakolo, Ijewere, Wigwe: Tribute to a peerless departed triumvirate

    Biakolo, Ijewere, Wigwe: Tribute to a peerless departed triumvirate

    I have been deeply distressed, pained with the shocking death of three valuable exemplary figures who were behemoths of the finest tradition in their respective crafts! Professor Emevwo Biakolo, a colossal literary scholar and founding Dean of the School of Media & Communication, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, Mr Emmanuel Ijewere, a foremost Chartered Accountant and former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), and Mr Herbert Wigwe, co-founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Ltd, all passed away at a most difficult period. It is unimaginable!

    With the sad, unsettling, calamitous demise of these peerless ace professionals, Nigeria has lost three invaluable gifts to humanity! Indeed, one remarkable element that distinguishes these three extraordinary men is that they were not only giants in their respective fields, having attained the very peak, commanding heights of their excellent, illustrious careers but also that their  exceptional accomplishments will continue to serve as glowing lighthouse in an era of vanishing values! On a personal level, I have had the very privilege of knowing closely Biakolo for about thirty six years; Ijewere, for about thirty years, and Wigwe  for precisely eight years! Ironically, Biakolo and Wigwe passed on same day while Ijewere’s demise was a little over a month ago. 

    It was only about a week ago, I received an email from the revered Professor, apprising me of a pet endeavour which he was devoting his very precious time after retiring from the Pan-Atlantic University. His message was as eloquent, genial as usual, and with his customary imprimatur. Family Fortnightly, a newsletter, he had put together, was his latest adventure! But sadly, last Friday, February 9, 2024, he died in his sleep in his Lekki, Lagos home! Professor Biakolo was a premier writer, an academic behemoth and a former member of the editorial board of The Guardian newspaper, whose unique storytelling style, sublimity of thoughts and elegance of prose were some of his very distinctive features. His enthralling weekly column was always a climate of captivating thoughts. A foremost writer, an iconic scholar of the finest tradition, quintessential teacher, and a true family man whose lofty deeds and towering reputation transcended boundaries! He was affable, kind, compassionate, and to boot, exceptionally principled. Biakolo was a premier university lecturer at Nigeria’s Premier University, University of Ibadan and a visiting member of the Editorial Board of The Guardian when I first met him in 1988.

    At that time, I was in need of a temporary job at The Guardian newspaper, and a good friend of mine had casually referenced Dr Biakolo as an intensely empathic writer who would lend you a listening ear! I was equally told that the Professor was, without exception, available only on Wednesdays at The Guardian for the newspaper’s editorial Board meetings. Without any prior appointment, I went to the Oshodi-Isolo expressway Office of The Guardian. Upon meeting him, the first thing I noticed about the venerable Scholar was his infectious smile, which lightened my concerns. A great listener, with tremendous attention to details, after listening raptly to my mission, he took me straight to the office of the then managing director of the newspaper. “This young-man would make a good journalist,” he declared.  The managing director was to ask me to follow up! And thus began, my interest in The Guardian where I was to work, many years later, precisely in 1995, after Prof Biakolo had left for Botswana, as s Senior Lecturer in English at the University of Botswana, Gaborone. Indeed, Nigeria has lost one of her most endowed scholars, treasured literary giants, and a classical Iroko whose influence resonated beyond the shores of the country!

    Biakolo was a very confident literary author, awesome writer of the noblest fashion, exceptional poet, prolific editorialist, an unusual teacher, strong promoter of family values and a very committed advocate of democracy and the rule of law! His incendiary, intrepid criticisms of the Abacha military regime were part of the rich intellectual repositories of pro-democracy rockets of that era! With his death, I have lost a very great teacher who took me under his wings some 36 years ago! He was a literary Iroko, who did not only build the School of Media & communications at PAU from its scratch but whose academic prowess and rich contributions to the body of knowledge in the field of Communications and Storytelling in the Global South, was strikingly unexampled. Until his death, he was an emeritus professor of Communication, School of Media & Communication, PAU, Lagos. Some of his ground-breaking scholarly works include; “Insurgency in Nigeria: The Niger Delta Experience”, “Oral tradition, European Modernity and African Philosophy”, “Women in Conversation with an African Man on gender Issues”, and “Categories of Cross-Cultural Cognition and the African Condition.”

     For the late calm, charismatic and astute former president of the ICAN, past president of the Nigerian Red Cross Society and erstwhile Chairman of the Institute of Directors (IoD), Ijewere, he has been like a very senior friend, counselor for about thirty years. Our path first crossed in 1994 when I was a reporter, and we got introduced through a mutual friend. Friendly, simple and ever straightforward! I cherish deeply the privilege of knowing such a wonderful, down-to-earth business leader with immense wisdom. A great thinker, an extraordinary chartered Accountant, lover of agriculture and a rare human-being whose faith in the advancement of agriculture in Nigeria was unmatched. Each time one encountered him, one was always left with a sense of personal fulfilment and satisfaction on account of his simplicity of style and sublimity of wisdom. He also enriched my personal life with his presence at important occasions. In fact, during my wedding, Mr Ijewere and Prof J.P.Clark were among the first set  of guests seated in the Church, preceding many others.

    Born on October 30, 1946, in present day Plateau State, Ijewere studied in Lagos, Ijebu-Ode, Cameroon and the United Kingdom. He started his very distinguished Accountancy career in 1965 in the UK, and later established his own Accountancy firm in Nigeria in 1979, which blossomed and soared like an incredible eagle. As an avant-garde, Ijewere led by example! Until his death, he was chairman and director of several companies with interests in banking, finance, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, logistics, etc. Among them were Best Foods Group, Emson, Nigeria Agrobusiness Group, Drums Resources Nigeria Ltd, Apei Capital & Trust Limited, Countrywide Direct Mortgage Company, Kerildbert Holdings, Computer warehouse Group (CWG) and Gemini Pharmaceuticals, Nova Merchant Bank Limited, Rosaab International Ltd, Globe Crest(VFM) Nigeria Ltd, Nigeria Cold Chain Supply Systems Ltd, etc.  These strings of business interests were products of Ijewere’s capacious hard-work, inventiveness and brilliance. And as a business leader with great love for his country, he answered the call for national duty at various times, serving as Chairman of Agriculture and food security Commission, Modified Value Added Tax (VAT) as well as member of the following: National Economic forum, Agri-Cultural transformation Implementation Council (ATIC), Buhari’s transition committee’s technical team on Agriculture  and co-ordinator of Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NAGB). With Ijewere’s death, the Nigerian business community has lost a business colossus, an empathic professional, a devout Catholic, self-effacing employer of labour who would be greatly missed by many.

    Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede and Wigwe nurtured an excellent business partnership that changed the Banking sector in Nigeria. Perhaps, they were both the youngest founders of a Commercial bank in Nigeria’s history in 2002! It was not therefore unexpected that the news of Wigwe’s death triggered uncontrollable wave of sadness across Nigeria. My encounter with Wigwe was through Aig-Imoukhuede, founding Group MD/CEO of Access Bank. I met Wigwe’s father, Pastor Shyngle Wigwe, now 89 years of age, for the first time, at the service of songs held in honour of the first governor of Delta State, Olorogun Felix Ibru at the Federal Palace hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos in 2016!

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    In his years as a banker, businessman, educationist, thought leader and champion of charitable causes, Wigwe impacted many lives. Following his tragic death in the ill-fated Helicopter  which crashed in California last Friday, February 9, and also claimed the lives  of  his wife, Chizobu, their son and Mr Abimbola Ogunbanjo, a  former Group Chairman of Nigerian Stock Exchange Group (NGX Group) and son of the late legendary industrialist, Chief Chris Ogunbanjo, Nigeria has lost  not just a resilient banking chief but also a peerless lover of education, tireless mastermind of lofty initiatives and a boundless family man whose strong commitment to  family values was quite impressive. The transformation of Access Bank into one of the five leading, first-rate financial institutions defines Wigwe’s resilience, strength of character and clear vision.

    Born 57 years ago in Rivers State, Herbert was educated at the university of Nigeria, Nsukka where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy in 1987, and thereafter obtained an MA in Banking and Finance in 1991. Tireless Wigwe also took a second masters in Financial Economics preparatory to a cherished and illustrious career in the Banking industry. He later attended Harvard Business School Executive Management Programme. In appreciation of his sterling, splendid and excellent accomplishments in his chosen career, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, honoured him with a Honorary doctorate degree in 2018. A pacesetter, a cultural force, a rare gift to the Nigerian banking industry, many would wish if he had not travelled! Just if! That single word often encapsulates the thoughts of everyone whenever calamity strikes! Death, an unfair, numbed, and hopeless cut!  In its unkindness, death pierced short the flourishing life of  a shining lighthouse!

     The fragility of life is really telling. But for these exceptional professional behemoths, I can only find solace in the enduring, eternal words of Clare Harner, a famous US journalist whose poem in 1934 entitled “Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep” remains consoling:

    “Do not stand at my grave and weep.   I am not there.

    I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow.

    I am the diamond glints on snow.

    I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

    I am the gentle autumn rain when you awaken in the morning hush.

    I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circled flight.

    I am the soft stars that shine at Night.

    Do not stand at my grave and cry. I am not there.

    I did not die.”

    As professional colossi, as stars that shine peerlessly, and twinkling like diamond glints, the triumvirate-Biakolo, Ijewere and Wigwe- are not dead! Their immortal accomplishments are huge legacies that live on!

    •Djebah, a former Delta State Commissioner for Information is the immediate past Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Thailand.

  • NGX Group, others mourn Ogunbanjo, Wigwe

    NGX Group, others mourn Ogunbanjo, Wigwe

    Representatives of the board and management of Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group) and other key stakeholders of the capital market paid condolence visits to the families of late Mr Abimbola Ogunbanjo and Dr Herbert Wigwe.

    The delegation, led by Alhaji Umaru Kwairanga, Group Chairman, NGX Group, included representatives from Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Association of Dealing Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc, and NG Clearing, according to a  statement yesterday, The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that late Ogunbanjo, former Chairman of NGX Group, Wigwe, Group CEO of Access Holdings, his wife and son died on Feb. 9 in a helicopter crash in Southern California, U.S.

    At the Ogunbanjo’s family, Kwairanga hailed the leadership style of the late former NGX Group chairman in the capital market, adding that he was kind and humble.

    Mr Temi Popoola, Group Chief Executive Officer (Group CEO) of NGX Group, acknowledged Ogunbanjo’s significant impact on the Nigerian capital market.

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    Popoola recognised the transformative leadership of late Ogunbanjo during his tenure as the Council President of the Exchange and the first Group Chairman of the NGX Group.

    The former NGX Group CEO, Mr Oscar Onyema, described the loss of Ogunbanjo as very painful, adding that only God can grant his family the strength to bear the loss.

    Mr Oluwole Adeosun, CIS President, said that late Ogunbanjo was a dependable and trustworthy supporter of the institute.

    Mr Haruna Jalo-Waziri, CEO of CSCS, described the late former NGX Group chairman as a good man to the core.

    Mr Tinu Awe, CEO of NGX Regulation Ltd. (NGX RegCo), consoled the Ogunbanjo’s family, noting that the late NGX group chairman is irreplaceable in the capital market.

    At the Wigwe’s family, Kwairanga expressed the shock of the capital market’s community to the death of Wigwe and pledged ongoing support of the market to Access Holdings.

    The NGX Group chairman described Wigwe as not just a corporate mogul but also as a renowned philanthropist committed to community service and the progress and development of the nation.

    “Wigwe played a pivotal role, bringing his exceptional passion, energy, and expertise to the transformation of Access Bank and the financial sector.

    “The NGX Group and Nigerian capital market community stand in solidarity with the bereaved families during this challenging time,” he said.

    Mr Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede, Wigwe’s partner and the Chairman of Coronation Group, expressed gratitude for the acknowledgment of Wigwe’s contributions and pledged to uphold his legacy.

  • Rivers community to probe Wigwe’s death traditionally

    Rivers community to probe Wigwe’s death traditionally

    • Eight-day mourning begins

    Isiokpo community in Ikwerre Local Government of  Rivers State has said it will use its tradition to determine circumstances of the crash that killed its son, his wife and son.

    King Blessing Wagor spoke  during a procession to begin eight-day mourning yesterday. 

    Wagor said Wigwe would not be buried outside Isiokpo, adding the community awaits his remains for traditional rites.

    He said: “We must traditionally bury him. He cannot be buried outside Isiokpo. He must be buried here. 

    “Isiokpo must find a way to probe his death. We must get to the root of this thing. Isiokpo is an ancient city. We must go back to our traditional way and find out what killed Herbert Wigwe.

    “If his death is natural. We will know. If it is from a human we will know.”

    A visit to the community showed markets, shops and other were shut yesterday.

    The roads in the community were bereft of vehicles as elderly men and women, children, and youths, trooped out in dark attire singing songs and lamenting passage of their benefactor.

    The processions ended at Wagor’s palace where mourners were received by the monarch.

    Seated under a large canopy, the mourners sang and called on God to intervene and help them cope with the loss.

    King Wagor described Wigwe as a special man to the community, saying he championed development of Isiokpo.

    He said: “Wigwe fulfilled promises he made to the community but lamented that the community was expecting actualisation of other life-changing promises before his death.

    “Who will now complete the electricity project he initiated? Who will give us light?  

    “He is a special man to us. We are crying and mourning him. God knows everything. I won’t ask God why. We hand over everything to God. May God give us the mind to endure it.

    “We relied on him. He came to develop Isiokpo. He was a wonderful person to us. He left legacies in the community. He cited a university here. He made promises. He promised us plenty things. We are in tears. The light project he promised us is ongoing. Who will give us light again? He has gone and we are in pain.

    “What happens to our Xmas bonus? He used to supply rice to Isiokpo. We enjoyed him. His death is painful. He was humble, honest and respectful.”

    The monarch said Wigwe’s death had taught others to make an impact on their communities.

    He noted if Wigwe had not left such legacies, Isiokpo would not be mourning him.

    “This death is an example to us. You must make an impact in your community. If Herbert is not a good man, this crowd will not gather here. We can’t be here crying. Let’s follow Wigwe’s footsteps, “ Wagor added.

     President of Isiokpo Youth Council and Coordinating Chairman of Ikwerre youth leaders, Ezemoye Peter, also wants the death probed.

    Peter said: “We are not too comfortable with the stories. We, the youth of Isiokpo, call on the Federal Government, state and National Assembly to look into this and follow up on investigations to know what happened.

    “We are not buying the stories. It is a great loss to us and we can’t just lose a brother and father like that. We want Interpol and the Federal Government to find out what happened. 

    Read Also: We will probe Wigwe’s death in traditional way, says Rivers community

    “I am not a pilot and I am not an engineer but in my layman’s understanding when the weather is bad, you don’t take off. So, the engineering crew and helicopter company should be investigated. We need a thorough probe to see what happened.

    “Wigwe was my boss, news of his death came as a shock. I worked with him. We planned with him over the years with the things he brought to Isiokpo.

    “Education is the key to every society. He had the idea of turning the town into the envy of many people.

    “He made promises to us. We have been crying all these days. We took to the streets today to mark the respect and love we have for him. Today is Valentine’s day. You can see all Isiokpo, the king and chiefs, including women, are here in solidarity.

    “But one thing is key. What is happening shows the impact he made in Isiokpo, Ikwerre and Rivers State. Other communities  took part in the procession.

    “The only way we can honour him is to ensure his legacies are sustained. That is the best way anyone can mourn him.

    “We must protect all and ensure we actualise all his dreams and aspirations. His dreams and his name shouldn’t be allowed to go into extinction. We are mourning him for eight days. But after today, activities will go on in the community on a low key. Wigwe did a lot for us.”

  • We will probe Wigwe’s death in traditional way, says Rivers community

    We will probe Wigwe’s death in traditional way, says Rivers community

    • Isiokpo shuts shops, markets, declares eight days mourning

    The Isiokpo community in the Ikwerre local government area of Rivers State has declared its intent to employ its age-old tradition of investigating deaths to unravel the circumstances surrounding the helicopter crash that tragically claimed the lives of Herbert Wigwe, his wife, and one of their children.

    Isiokpo’s traditional leadership body made this announcement on Wednesday, February 14, during a procession marking the commencement of an eight-day mourning period declared in honour of the late Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Access Holdings.

    A visit to the community on Wednesday revealed that the residents of this ancient kingdom had shuttered their markets, shops, and all other business establishments as a mark of respect for Wigwe, whom they fondly remembered as a remarkable and benevolent individual.

    The entire busy roads in Isiokpo were deserted as they only witnessed skeletal vehicular movement mainly by persons, who came from outside the community to partake in the procession.

    Elderly men and women, children, youths, indigens and non-indigens trooped out en masse to walk the major road in Isiokpo chanting sorrowful songs and lamenting the untimely passage of their benefactor.

    Black was the colour of the day as residents, who either partook in the procession or sat outside their houses wore black outfits or any attire with a touch of black.

    All processions ended at the palace of the Traditional Ruler of Isiokpo, His Royal Majesty, King Blessing Wagor, who was seated with his council of chiefs to receive the mourners.

    Under the canopies mounted at the palace premises were also a seated crowd of mourners, who sang and called on God to intervene and help the community cope with what they described as an incalculable loss.

    King Blessing described Wigwe as a special man to the community saying he was championing the development of Isiokpo before his shocking demise.

    He said Wigwe fulfilled many promises he made to the community but lamented that the community was expecting the actualisation of many other life-changing promises he made to the people before his untimely death.

    “Who will now complete the ongoing electricity project he initiated? Who will give us light?” The monarch lamented.

    Speaking on the legacies of Wigwe, the king said: “He is a special man to us. We are crying and mourning him. God knows everything. I won’t ask God why. We hand over everything to God. May God give us the mind to endure it.

    Read Also: Senate seeks probe of Chopper crash that killed Wigwe, wife, son, ex-NGX’s chairman

    “We relied on him. He came to develop Isiokpo. He was a wonderful person to us. He left many legacies in the community. He cited a university here. He made many promises. He promised us plenty of things. We are in tears.

    “The light project He promised us is still ongoing. Who will give us light again? He has gone and we are in pain. What happens to our Xmas bonus? He used to supply rice all over Isiokpo. We enjoyed him and his death is painful. He was humble, honest and respectful.”

    The king said Wigwe would not be buried anywhere outside Isiokpo adding that the community was waiting for his remains to give him a befitting traditional burial rites.

    However, he vowed that the community would resort to its ancient practice to determine the real cause of the death of Wigwe.

    He said: “We must traditionally bury him. He cannot be buried outside Isiokpo. He must be buried here. The Isiokpo must find a way to probe his death. We must get to the root of the whole thing. Isiokpo is an ancient city. We must go back to our traditional way and find out what really killed Herbert Wigwe. If his death is natural. We will know. If it is from a human we will know.”

    The king said Wigwe’s death had taught others to strive and make a positive impact in their communities noting that if Wigwe had not left such legacies, the entire Isiokpo would not be mourning him.

    He said: “This death is an example to all of us. You must make an impact in your community. If Herbert is not a good man, this crowd will not gather here today. We can’t be here crying. Let’s follow Herbert Wigwe’s footsteps.”

    On his part, Apostle Ezemoye Peter, the President of Isiokpo Youth Council and the Coordinating Chairman of all the Ikwerre community youth leaders, also said the death of Wigwe should be thoroughly probed to find out its real cause.

    He said: “We are not too comfortable with the stories. We, the youths of Isiokpo are using this opportunity to call on the Federal Government, the state and the National Assembly to look into this and follow up investigations to know what actually happened.

    “We are not buying into the stories. It is a great loss to us and we can’t just lose a brother and father like that. We want the Interpol and the Nigerian government to find out what actually happened. 

    “I am not a pilot and I am not an engineer but in my layman’s understanding when the weather is bad, you don’t take off. So the engineering crew and the helicopter company should be investigated. We need a thorough investigation to see what really happened.”

    The youth leader lamented the death of Wigwe describing it as shocking and saying that the entire community had been crying since the incident occurred.

    He said: “Wigwe was my boss, the news of his death came as a shock. I worked closely with him. We planned with him over the years with the things he brought down to Isiokpo. Education is the key to every society. He had the idea of turning the town into the envy of many people.

    “He made many promises to us. We have been crying all these days. We took to the streets today to mark the respect and love we have for him. Today is Valentine’s Day. You can see the crowd, the entire Isiokpo, the King and chiefs including the women are here today in solidarity.

    “But one thing is key. What is happening today shows the impact he made in Isiokpo, Ikwerre and Rivers at large. Other communities came here to partake in the procession.  The only way we can honour his death is to ensure that his legacies are sustained. That is the best way anyone can mourn him.

    “We must protect all and ensure we actualise all his dreams and aspirations. His dreams and his name shouldn’t be allowed to go into extinction. We are mourning him for eight days. But after today, activities will go on in the community on a low key. Wigwe did a lot for the community.”

  • NDLEA mourns late Access Holdings CEO Wigwe

    NDLEA mourns late Access Holdings CEO Wigwe

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has condoled the families, friends, staff of Access Holdings, and Nigerians in general, over the death of Herbert Wigwe, members of his family, and others in the tragic chopper that crashed on February 9, 2024, in California, United States of America.

    The director of media and advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Wednesday, February 14, said the death of Wigwe, co-founder of Access Bank and CEO of Access Holdings, was a colossal loss to the nation.

    Read Also: Wigwe: Ramaphosa saddened over crash

    He said Wigwe was an outstanding Nigerian, an icon of the banking profession, and a model of selfless service to humanity, who, in his ways, strove to make the Nigerian narrative better.

    Babafemi said: “The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, remembers him, especially for his donation of a parcel of land for the building of the NDLEA barracks in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, which is an invaluable contribution to the ongoing effort to rescue the country from the scourge of illicit drugs. 

    “We join millions of Nigerians in mourning the passage of this rare gem, even as we pray that God gives his family, loved ones, and the nation at large the fortitude to bear the loss.”