REVEALED! ‘Let us number our days…,’ Late Access Holdings CEO, Herbert Wigwe’s prophetic tweet days before helicopter tragedy
Just three weeks before the fatal chopper crash in California, Herbert Wigwe, the Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, shared a poignant reflection on life via his X (Twitter) account.
Tragically, Wigwe, along with his wife, son, and three others, were aboard the chopper when the accident occurred, claiming their lives while en route to Las Vegas to witness the Super Bowl, the annual NFL championship game.
While the New York Times has confirmed the crash, the passengers’ identities have not been officially disclosed. However, sources within the banking sector have confirmed Wigwe’s presence on the ill-fated flight.
According to reports, the Eurocopter EC130 helicopter crashed near the California-Nevada border around 10 p.m. local time on Friday, with no survivors located by Saturday morning.
The Federal Aviation Administration indicated that the crash site was near Nipton, Calif., an unincorporated area approximately 60 miles south of Las Vegas in eastern San Bernardino County.
Details regarding the helicopter’s departure point and destination remained unclear, with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department informed of the incident at 10:12 p.m. local time. The crash site was determined to be east of Interstate 15, near Halloran Springs Road.
In a poignant social media post dated January 19, 2024, Wigwe reflected on the preciousness of life and urged others to cherish it by embracing purpose, kindness, and gratitude.
“Today and always, let us remember that life is a precious gift – a chance to breathe, feel, love, experience, and connect. Let’s honor this gift by living with purpose, kindness, and gratitude, making every moment count. Let us number our days,” he wrote.
Today and always, let us remember that life is a precious gift – a chance to breathe, feel, love, experience and connect.
Let's honor this gift by living with purpose, kindness, and gratitude, making every moment count.
Let us number our days.#HOW pic.twitter.com/U0ePI0pXl5— Herbert Wigwe, C.F.R (@HerbertOWigwe) January 19, 2024
Salient facts about the late banker
Born on August 22, 1966, Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe hailed from Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
He was married to Chizoba Wigwe (nee Nwuba) and had four children: Chizi, Tochi, Hannah and David.
He was a graduate of Accounting from University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) in Enugu State.
As a banker in Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), he worked with Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede to buy Access Bank, which used to hold the 65th position amongst the list of 89 banks in the country.
Working with Aig-Imoukhuede, who became the MD of the bank, they grew the bank to a top tier bank.
He succeeded Aig-Imoukhuede as the MD of Access Bank and worked on a vision of transforming the bank into a global bank, a feat he achieved in his lifetime. He not only took the bank beyond the African continent, he expanded it to become a financial conglomerate.
