Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji has expressed condolences on the death of the Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Limited, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, who died in a helicopter crash in the United States of America on Friday.
Wigwe, 57, was reported to have died alongside his wife, son and three others in the chopper crash around the California-Nevada border in the United States.
Governor Oyebanji in a statement on Sunday, signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, described the death of Mr. Wigwe, his spouse and son as a monumental tragedy for Nigeria.
Governor Oyebanji described the late Wigwe as a great friend of Ekiti State and a strategic partner and supporter of the state’s development programme.
Oyebanji described the late Access Holdings CEO as a phenomenal philanthropist, who served humanity eminently with his time, talent and resources and would be remembered for the impact he made on the lives of the people as much as his notable contributions to the development of the nation’s financial sector.
He prayed God to grant the Wigwe family and the Access Holdings the equanimity to bear the loss and also grant the families of other victims of the crash the fortitude to bear the huge loss of their loved ones.
The Governor said Mr. Wigwe made lasting and unforgettable impact during his earthly sojourn, urging all his proteges to build on his legacies of service and innovativeness as a way to immortalize him.
“It is indeed a sad and devastating news, a tragedy of immense proportion not only to the Wigwe family and the Access Holdings which he headed, but to us in Ekiti State, where he was regarded as a great friend and supporter of our development programme; and Nigeria where he was a shinning star and an icon in the financial sector.
“Our hearts and prayers are with the Wigwe family and to the families of the late Abimbola Ogunbanjo and others who died in the ill-fated flight. We pray that the Lord will comfort the entire families much more than words can”, the statement added.