Family, friends remember Wigwe on posthumous birthday

Six months after his tragic death in a helicopter accident in California, eminent banker, Dr. Herbert Wigwe was celebrated by his family, friends and associates on his posthumous birthday on Thursday, August 15. In the privacy of their homes, they sang and prayed for his soul, children and relatives and in emotional public statements published in many newspapers, they were effusive in their outpouring of love and grief. Herbert died with his wife, Chizoba and son Chizi. Herbert’s friend, Abimbola, and the two pilots of the chopper, also perished. May their precious souls continue to rest in peace.

In a highly expressive statement written in the form of a letter to their departed son whom they fondly called ‘’Gege Papa’’ and released this morning, Herbert’s aged parents, Pastor Stella and Pastor Shyngle Wigwe write, ‘’words cannot express the depth of our love for you and the immense void your absence has left in our hearts. Today, 58 years ago, God blessed us with the precious gift of you, our beloved Gege.  Though your departure was sudden and heartbreaking, we find solace in knowing that only the Almighty can mend our shattered hearts’’.

They described him as ‘’extraordinary and remarkable son’’ and thanked God for his life. Reading the full message from Herbert’s parents is choking, and it’s clear that the Wigwes are still hurting. Indeed, there is no greater pain to a parent than the loss of a child. I experienced it 25 years ago; and I pray that nobody should experience it.

Herbert was born at Island Maternity Hospital in Lagos on August 15, 1966 – a momentous period in Nigeria’s political history. He died in the night of February 9, 2024, in California (early morning of February 10 Nigerian time). Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu had pledged at Herbert’s Nights of Tributes held at the Eko Convention Center, Victoria Island, Lagos, on March 4, to immortalise the departed business icon on the Lagos Island since ‘’he is an Island boy’’. The historic import of the statement was not lost on many in the cavernous hall that evening and I hope that the governor will make good his promise.

The part of Lagos state known as Lagos Island (Isale Eko in Yoruba) is a sprawling, crowded settlement well known as the native land of the indigenes of the city. Over the years, it has become a melting pot for Nigerians from different parts of the country and the center of culture, history and unabashed hedonism that give Lagos its uniqueness. My parents-in-law, from what is today Delta State, grew up on the Island, and so are millions of Nigerians from all over the country, some of whom had made the Island their permanent home.

It is in the Lagos Island that freed slaves from Brazil settled when they returned to what was then a British colony – a piece of history still ingrained in the architecture and some family names. It was on the Island that Dr. Herbert Macaulay, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and the other founding fathers of the country began their political career and the long fight for the independence of our nation.

Historically, Lagos as we know it today has its origins in the Island, and this explains why the governor’s pledge to establish a memorial for Herbert over there carried a ring of historic importance. The governor was well applauded for the pledge in particular and for the searing tribute he gave in which he recalled his close relationship with the late banker. He had known Herbert for 34 years and Herbert had supported his governorship campaign generously and also support his administration through many financial initiatives, the governor announced. I enjoin Mr. Sanwo-Olu to fulfil this promise soon.

Herbert’s younger brother, Emeka, had cut short his trip to the US days earlier to enable him spend time with his parents and coordinate the family’s activities on this memorial day. He wrote: ‘’As I pen these words in on what would have been your 58th birthday, the weight of your absence weighs heavy on my heart. It feels as though a piece of the world has been taken with you, leaving a void that can never be filled’’. I have spoken with Emeka fairly a few times since his brother’s death, and it seems to me that he’s still inconsolable and devastated.

From Access Nation, comprising the over 28,000 men and women who work in the bank, the parent company and its many subsidiaries, came an early morning message released by Company Secretary Sunday Ekwochi, at 12.09am today. ‘’On this day, we remember the laughter, the shared moments and the countless ways you touched our lives. You may not be here to blow out the candles, but we will always honour your light that continues to shine brightly in our lives’’, it reads.

I published my own message in the form of a poem at 12.11am. The first stanza read: ‘’A leader, a mentor, a fearless warrior. Your presence is still felt, though you are out of sight. I remember you every day, and specially on your first posthumous birthday…’’. I added in the middle of the text: ‘’your energy, wisdom and kindness, I still recall’’.

Wigwe University and his foundation, The HOW Foundation, will remain two Herbert’s most enduring legacy. In a joint statement, titled ‘’Happy Birthday in Memoriam’’, the two institutions write, ‘’though you are no longer with us, your fearless commitment to excellence and humanity and continues to inspire and guide us. We celebrate your visionary leadership and the countless lives you touched. We shall remain steadfast in our dedication in carrying forward your extraordinary legacy’’.

From the family of Nigeria’s former petroleum minister, Chief Dan L. Etete, came a soothing word of consolation to the Wigwes. Signed by the patriarch, Chief Etete himself, the prominent Odi, Kolokoma family wrote: “We stand with the Wigwe Family, as we honour and remember our dearest father, son, brother and friend, Dr. Herbert O. Wigwe, CFR, a true icon and legend on his first posthumous birthday. Herbert was a perfect man and very dear to so many people. A very prosperous, and kindhearted man.”

Truly, a life of impact that touches lives will always endure long after the body has gone.