says death blow to Nigerian banking industry
Wema Bank has extended condolences to the board, management, and staff of Access Holdings plc, owners of Access Bank, over the tragic death of Herbert Wigwe, their group CEO, on Friday.
Wema Bank in a statement signed by Moruf Oseni, managing director/CEO, lamented that Wigwe’s loss was not only to Access Bank but the entire banking industry and the nation at large.
“There is no doubt Herbert’s departure is a significant loss to all of us in the banking community. Personally, I have lost a friend, and I dare say there is a substantial depletion in the ranks of worthy ambassadors of our great profession, the business community, where Wigwe held sway for several years, and our dear country, Nigeria. He has written his name in gold. His was a career marked by excellence, vision, and a legacy that transcends beyond the financial world, and he has left a legacy that will continue to inspire generations to come.”
“As a bank, we express our deepest sympathy to Access Holdings, the entire banking community, and, most importantly, to the families, friends, and associates of Herbert Wigwe and the other victims. This unfortunate incident has left us in mourning, and their departure has created a void that will be felt across the banking landscape for a very long time.”
“On behalf of myself and the entire Wema Bank family, I urge us all to take solace in the enviable legacies of his life and times as well as the footprints of his impactful leadership in the business world. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all the way through this great storm,” Oseni mourned in the statement, on Sunday.
Wigwe, his wife, son, and Bimbola Ogunbanjo, a former group chairman of Nigeria Exchange Group (NGX Group), lost their lives in a helicopter crash in California, US, on Friday.
