Olusola Faleye, di personal assistant to di late CEO of Access Holdings, Herbert Wigwe, don tok about di last moment wey im share wit im oga before di ill-fated flight wey claim di life of di banker, im wife, im son and odas.
One former Nigeria Exchange Group Chairman, Abimbola Ogunbanjo also dey among di pipo wey die for di helicopter accident wey happun for America on Friday, 9 February.
Faleye tok about di final moment wit Wigwe wen im pay tribute to di ogbonge bank chief on Wednesday 6 March for one of di programmes wey dem line up for im funeral.
According to Faleye, im no board di helicopter sake of say di luggage wey belong to im oga and odas no go fit enta di chopper and na why im travel by road to Nevada.
Wetin happun before di ill-fated flight to Nevada
From Nigeria, Wigwe, im wife Chizoba, im son Chizzy, Faleye and Abimbola bin travel to London, and from London to Palm Springs, California, United States.
“Na sweet journey – eleven hours, we fly from London to Palm Springs. I remember say for midair, I go meet am, I say ‘sir, how comfortable you dey to dey fly chopper for night? I neva do am bifor.’ and e say, ‘dis na America, dem get navigation system for flying chopper for night.’ And we land, evri bodi dey filled wit joy say we don finally almost reach,” Faleye tok.
Faleye tok say na two vans bin wait for dem for di aiport. E say one go carry dem go board di chopper while di oda one go carry dia luggage come meet dem for dia destination sake of say dem no fit put am inside di chopper.
E say im kon reason am say e no go make sense if im fly wit di odas and still dey tink about di luggage wey no go arrive on time.
Faleye tok say im bin tell Wigwe say make im travel by road wit di luggage so im go fit deliver am by imsef and Wigwe tell am say na brilliant idea.
“I go meet am and I say, ‘sir I tink e dey safer and e go dey secure for me to just ride and bring di luggage to you. E say, ‘brilliant idea,’ and I say, ‘safe flight,’”Faleye tok.
E say since 2019 wey im don dey work wit Wigwe, im no fit count one or two flights wey im oga dey inside wey im no dey inside.
Faleye describe how im oga introduce am to beta life, di kain life wey be say na only inside movies im bin dey see am.
Otutochi Wigwe daughter of Herbert Wigwe also give one emotional tribute to her papa on Wednesday evening.
Tochi wit plenty friends and families share dia tribute about Herbert wey die at 57-year-old.
Tochi Wigwe say her papa during im life bin urge her to rach new heights wey she neva imagine.
“Weneva doubt cloud my mind, you go chuckle knowingly and say, ‘You really just neva know whose child you be, you go soon find out.’ And once again, you dey right: I don come to find out, she tok as tears flow from her eyes.
“I no fit ever understand how you bin manage to do am all”.
Tochi also tok about how her papa dey eva show ogbonge love and dey always tell her friends say dia future dey Nigeria so make dem elevate dia aspirations.
She tok about how her papa bin travel far distance just to see her for minutes wen she bin dey study overseas.
“Distance meant absolutely nothing to you.
“You bin travel continents on one whim just to see me for couple of minutes bifor you head back to your responsibilities,” Tochi tok.
Also, gormer Central Bank of Nigeria govnor Muhammadu Sanusi II cry wen e tok about how Late Herbert Wigwe bin satnd by im wen e bin dey removed as Emir of Kano state.
Di Former Emir of Kano state na one of di ogbonge pipo wey don give tribute to di late Access bank CEO since Monday 4 March wen programmes to celebrate di late banker, im wife and son wey die don start.
For im speech Sanusi bin tok say e bin think say e go leave Herbert.
“I dey tink say I go die and leave Herbert. We don all hear about am, about im loyalty,” e tok as e try control im tears.
Sanusi describe Herbert as pesin wey dey give steady support and loyalty.
“Wen I bin get problems for Kano, I bin call am about six months bifor dem tell me to comot Kano. I tok to am, ‘Herbert I know say you dey do all your best to solve all dis problems, but I dey convinced say dis na wetin go happun.
“E tell me say, ‘Your Highness, no worry. Wateva happun, no worry. We dey here for you.’ On dat day I bin hear for radio say I dey dethroned, I called am and say I wan come Lagos.
Profile of Herbert Wigwe
Herbert Wigwe na di co-founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings PLC, wey dey offer financial services for sectors in Africa, Asia and Europe.
Di journey of Wigwe to become one of Africa top corporate banker bin begin wen im complete im accountancy degree from di University of Nigeria for Nsukka. Wigwe still kontinu to grow im journey as im earn Masters for Banking and Finance from di University of North Wales (now Bangor) and anoda Masters for Financial Economics from di presigious University of London.
Wigwe na alumnus of di Harvard Business School Executive Management Program. Afta which im still go study law for University of London. Na from Coopers and Lybrand for Lagos im begin im journey as a management consultant wey make am qualify as a chartered accountant.
Im first work for Capital Bank, afta which im go join GTBank wia im spend ova a decade to work for corporate and institutional banking, from dia e rise to become di Executive Director wey dey in-charge of institutional banking.
Wigwe get clear experience for di banking sector, im partner wit Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede to buy into Access Bank for 2002 at di time wey di bank dey rank 65th largest bank in Nigeria.
Wigwe begin im leadership tenure for Access Bank as Deputy Managing Director, before im succeed Aig-Imoukhuede as di Group Managing Director/CEO for 2014. Im hold dat position until 2022.
For dat eight-year period wey im lead Access bank, Wigwe and im team of leaders carry Access Bank to become Africa largest retail bank (by customer base) for sub-saharan Africa. Access bank also become one of di top 500 financial institution brands for di world, according to one 2022 report by Brand Finance, afta di bank don get operations for 12 kontries across di world globe. For Africa alone, Wigwe bin lead di bank to 60 million customers.
Wigwe na also di Chairman of di Access Bank UK, wey don dey become a very strong African Bank for di United Kingdom.
Im also dey di board of Nigeria Business Coalition Against AIDS as member wey dey lead major businesses for Nigeria to fight HIV/AIDS within di health system and di private sector workforce.
Im be honorary member of di Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, a Fellow of di Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and also di Institute of Credit Administration.
For 2021, Wigwe bin receive recognition as African Banker of di Year, for di second consecutive year. Dat same year again, di Global Brands Magazine Award recognise am as di ‘Best Banking CEO’ wia im also receive di Juris Law Award by di Juris Law Office sake of im contributions to corporate governance and rule of law for Nigeria banking industry.
During di COVID-19 global crisis, Wigwe act by co-leading di formation of CACOVID (Coalition Against COVID) wia dem establish 39 isolation centers across the 36 states of Nigeria including FCT Abuja and also feed 10 million families across Nigeria.
Im launch ‘The HOW Foundation’ for 2016. Wigwe also launch di Wigwe University
Im bin get five children wit im wife Doreen Chizoba Wigwe.
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- Who be Abimbola Ogunbanjo wey die wit Herbert Wigwe Access Bank CEO for helicopter crash
