– Insiders Puncture Claims of A Clandestine Plot To Seize Late Banker’s Shares
– Family Shuns Plot To Cause Disaffection Between Them And Late Banker’s Friends
By Olaitan Adebayo
Some stories have to be written because no one would believe the absurdity of it all. This narrative happens to be one such yarn.
What is more heartbreaking? That Herbert Wigwe died in a chopper crash, or that mischief makers accuse his intimate friend and business associates of betraying him, even before his remains are interred in a final burial?
However, not a few close associates of the duo have dismissed the allegations arguing that the deceased’s friends and business associates have no plans to betray him.
It flies in the face of reason that just a few days after the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Access Holdings Plc, Wigwe, died alongside his wife, son, and three others in a helicopter crash in the United States, insiders within the parent company of Access Bank would accuse his most trusted friends and business associates of making subterranean moves to take over his assets.
This no doubt highlights their lack of understanding of the nature of their friendship with late Wigwe, while he was alive, and the depth of their bond.
Amidst the tremor and sorrow of the untimely loss, sources within the deceased’s family have raised concerns over what they perceive as a calculated move to cause disaffection between them and the late banker’s friends and business associates, stating that the family neither accepts nor aligns with the fictitious rumours and publication, by some faceless bloggers, of an alleged plot to sideline the Wigwe family – particularly Herbert’s surviving children and his younger brother, through clandestine proxies.
Findings revealed that the late Wigwe’s relatives are too busy mourning his demise with that of his wife, Chizoba, and their child, thus, they do not have the time to engage in any petty tussle or bickering over his assets.
Sources within the family have dismissed the rumours of clandestine meetings orchestrated by a clique to exclude the Wigwe family. According to them, they do not believe that any clique led by the deceased’s bosom friend and high ranking members of Access Holdings’ board of directors is attempting to forcibly take over funeral arrangements, and exert control over the handling of the corpses.
Contrary to rumours doing the round, the situation hasn’t spiraled and the family enjoys a robust relationship with his friends and business associates.
The major concern of the Wigwe family right now is to give their deceased relatives a befitting and honourable burial.
The broadcast or publication of malicious rumours citing trouble where none exists, according to the source, is simply treacherous and exploitative of the family’s grief over Herbert’s premature death.
If you ask Wigwe’s family, said a source, they would tell you that the billionaire banker’s death was tantamount to being left alone in the desert at dusk without water or warmth. It leaves their mouth dry and their will severely demoralised. It saps their tears and renders them inconsolable.
The same may be said of his most trusted friends and associates. There is no gainsaying they shared a special bond. They did everything together and shared a lot of triumphs, memories and sweet delights.
As friends and family mourn Wigwe’s demise, not a few people have recalled his cryptic but profound post on January 19, 2024, on his social media handle. He wrote, “Today, let us remember that life is a precious gift—a chance to breathe, feel, love, experience, and connect.
“Let us honour this gift by living with purpose, kindness, and gratitude, making every moment count. Let us number our days.
Wigwe’s sad demise coincided with the 9th edition of the famous Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, in which 32-year-old Kenyan runner Bernard Sang clinched the $50,000 prize money.
His death also comes on the heels of the demise of Access Holdings Head of Media, Abdul Imoyo, on December 17, 2023. He was buried on January 18, 2024.
Born on August 22, 1966, Wigwe hailed from Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State. He was a graduate of Accounting from the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) in Enugu State. He subsequently obtained a Masters degree in Banking and Finance from the University College of North Wales (now Bangor), a Master of Science degree in Financial Economics from the University of London, and is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School Executive Management Programme.
He was a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, a Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration, and an Honorary Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.
Wigwe launched the Access Holdings five-year corporate strategic plan, 2023-2027, in January last year, which is due for a performance review this quarter. Sadly, he would not be present for the review.
