Tinubu’s aide Onanuga, Osita Chidoka recall last conversations with late Access Bank MD Herbert Wigwe

The agonising death in a helicopter crash of the Access Bank Plc Managing Director Herbert Wigwe, alongside five others, has cast a dark pall on Nigeria’s governmental and corporate circles.

Another casualty of the crash is Abimbola Ogunbajo, the group chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc.

In a mournful post, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to media and strategy to President Bola Tinubu wrote: “ Wigwe had a big vision to make Access Holdings Africa’s biggest, with all the unquenchable thirst for acquisitions.

“He also made a mark in his community, by building a university, that he once told me will make a difference by focusing on entrepreneurship.”

In a similar post, Osita Chidoka, former minister of aviation and aerospace, lamented Wigwe’s death.

“Osita, I will fly into Abuja with the VC on Thursday; after our meeting, I will leave for the US,” Chidoka claimed Wigwe said to him. The banker was also said to have told his friend when he mentioned his frequent travels that, “Osita, you can’t keep up with my pace. Just enjoy your peace.”

Chidoka added: “We laughed and said goodbyes. It was the last goodbye. He couldn’t make it on Thursday.

“Since I left public office, he has been a strong supporter and friend. His wife Chizoba was at my wedding 22 years ago.

“His son looked up to me as his parents literally handed him over to me for mentorship.

“I am alone in the dark, wondering, is that it?”

The ill-fated chopper, a Eurocopter EC 130 helicopter crashed around 10 p.m. Friday near Nipton, California.

According to USA Today, six people were aboard the helicopter when it crashed into a Southern California desert.