Former President John Dramani Mahama has sent words of heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank and Access Holdings, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, following the tragic death of the businessman.
Mr. Wigwe, along with his son, wife, and three other crew members, perished in a tragic helicopter crash on Friday, February 9, in the United States.
In a Facebook post yesterday [February 12], the 2024 NDC presidential candidate described the Nigerian businessman as a good friend whose sudden death came as a shock.
“It’s difficult coming to terms with the tragic accident that claimed the lives of my dear friend Herbert Wigwe, his wife and son, along with three others,” Mr. Mahama wrote.
“My sympathies go out to the families of those who perished in the tragic accident, and our thoughts are with Herbert’s surviving children and the families of all who died.
“I had the privilege of knowing Herbert more closely from 2009 during his setting up of the Access Bank branch in Ghana. He came across as a brilliant and determined young man who was on a swift upward trajectory. This is evident in the growth of Access Bank into a widely recognised global brand,” he added.
According to the former President, Mr. Wigwe’s legacy in the finance and banking sector will always be remembered.
Background
According to a report from SaharaReporters, the Access Holdings CEO had left Lagos State, Nigeria, on Wednesday to watch the Super Bowl 58, an American football competition.
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The US Federal Aviation Ministry said the Eurocopter EC130 helicopter crashed around 10 p.m. California time on Friday.
According to Mara Rodriguez, a public information officer with the Federal Aviation Administration, officials at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department were made aware of the downed aircraft at 10:12 p.m. local time.
She added that the scene of the crash was determined to be east of Interstate 15, near Halloran Springs Road.
Prior to becoming the Group CEO, Herbert Wigwe served as the deputy managing director at Access Bank from 2002 to 2014. He is also the founder of Wigwe University.
He served as the Chairman of Access Bank (Ghana), Access Investment and Security Services Limited, Central Securities and Clearing System (CSCS), and, until his death, the Chairman of Access Bank (UK) Limited and Unified Payments Services Limited.