The Senate on Wednesday honoured the late group chief executive officer of Access Holdings, Herbert Wigwe, and the late former group chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, by observing a minute’s silence.
The duo died in a helicopter crash on February 9 in the United States. Mr Wigwe’s wife and son also died in the accident.
Lawmakers spoke passionately about the deceased during plenary, calling for a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the crash.
The Senate specifically urged the Federal Government to collaborate with the US authorities to ensure that thorough work was done.
These resolutions followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Senator Allwell Onyesoh (Rivers State).
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Several senators, while contributing to the debate, lauded Wigwe’s exemplary lifestyle of professionalism and philanthropy.
In his contribution, Senator Aminu Tambuwal (PDP – Sokoto South), described Wigwe as a “pan-Nigerian, and one of our best hands in the financial system of our dear country.”
Tambuwal said: “While I was the governor of my state, he visited me. He asked my uncles what he would do for them. They appealed to him to sponsor them to Hajj. He gave them 10 seats, as a Christian, for them to go on Hajj. That was Herbert Wigwe for you.
“We spoke last on the 1st of February. He said he called to say hello to me because we had not seen each other for a while. He wanted me to visit him and inspect the Wigwe University project. Well, that day will never come again.”
On his part, Senator Gbenga Daniel said Nigeria had lost a personality that would be long to replace.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio said Wigwe was a “pan-Africanist, who took Access Bank beyond the shores of Nigeria.”
