By Emeka Amaefula
HOW LATE HERBERT WIGWE PREPARED HIMSELF FOR DEATH, DUG HIS FAMILY GRAVES AHEAD OF THEIR TIME
It was a perplexing situation, an unusual situation in the traditional and Christian setting to see a living person digging his grave ahead of his death. Most African traditional societies forbid such acts of pre-empting his date of death and setting agenda for such burial activities ahead of his funeral. But for the late Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe. His native name “Onyewumbu” in Ikwerre language means “who is the first” and this name resonated in his actions and preparation for life challenges which he excelled with much dexterity.
Inside his legacy project WIGWE UNIVERSITY which he intended to flag off by September, 2024, he dug several graves for all his 5 children, himself and his wife, these graves were all marbled and aesthetically done for final usage each time any of his family members died. According to information from the community, it was forbidden even the Christian community in Isiokpo protested and this made late Herbert Wigwe to order that the graves be covered with white sand pending whenever any of his family member dies it will be less cumbersome for grave diggers to only scoop out the white sand and bury the dead with ease. If you think that he allowed his own grave to be covered by the wishes of the Isiokpo traditional and Christian communities you need to understand that he was said to have had his own grave uncovered And it was in this same grave that he was buried on 9th March, 2024 while his wife late Mrs Chizoba Doreen Wigwe and his first son Mr. Chizi Wigwe was buried inside that same grave he prepared for himself and his family members in advance.
Late Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe was born on August 15th, 1966 at Island Maternity Hospital, Lagos to Pastor Engr. Shyngle and Pastor (Mrs.) Stella Wigwe. He was the 3rd born child to his parents with other siblings such as late Osita his elder brother who also died in 1997 in a motor accident very close to his hometown Isiokpo while on his way back from Lagos to his village. Others include Mr Chilo, Emeka, Peggy, and Stella.
Late Herbert O. Wigwe in his lifetime spoke various native languages including Ikwerre and Efik of the Cross River and Akwa Ibom axis of Nigeria where his mother took them to stay during the Biafra-Nigerian Civil war from 1967 to 1970.
He started his formal education at Port Harcourt Primary School and he was later admitted into Federal Government College, Sokoto in 1977 which he later left after spending his first term he got transferred to Federal Government College Warri, in Delta state where he sat for West African School Certificate Examination WASC in 1982. He acquired his entrepreneurial skill through the mentorship of his father’s younger brother, Chief Henry Wigwe, a successful entrepreneur. In 1983, Herbert Wigwe was admitted to University of Nigeria Nsukka-UNN where he studied Accountancy and came out with a Second-Class Upper Division degree in 1987.
Having obtained his first-degree late Herbert Wigwe joined the accounting firm of Coopers & Lybrand as a graduate Assistant at its Lagos office At this time he was studying for his professional Chartered Accountant qualification programme. Immediately he got his qualification as a Chartered Accountant he began to pursue a career in banking in 1989 as he joined Kapital Merchant Bank as a Credit Analyst where he spent one year as he got the most cherished British Chevening Scholarship and he travelled to the United Kingdom for a Masters Degree programme in Banking and Finance at University College of North Wales now known as Bangor University. Immediately he returned to Nigeria he got a job at Guaranty Trust bank GTB in November 1991 as a Deputy Manager-Corporate Banking. It was at this period of his career that he was quickly noticed by the founders of GTB Fola Adeola and Tayo Aderinokun, who were both Seniors and peers who observed the display of certain attributes of Herbert O. Wigwe who’s hard working, diligent with a highly competitive spirit. This earned his rapid rise to the epicenter of banking in Nigeria where he at a tender age in December 1999 became Executive Director as an integral team of GTB
Assured of his future in Banking he enlisted in studying French language with the vision of building a high profile international profile thus, he was able to acquired the multi-national Account of Totalfina-Elf Energies Herbert Wigwe never stopped pushing beyond boundaries as he moved ahead to develop Loan transactions in involving Local and International Financial institutions which included Development finance institutions like FMO and IFC as he built good relationship with AFREXIM Bank and AfDB. His unquenchable appetite for higher learning led him to return to study Law and earned a Master’s Degree in Financial Economics from University of London.
With his eyes on bigger professional development he built a fantastic relationship with his colleague Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede at Guaranty Trust Bank as in 2001 both moved on to become the youngest Bank Chief Executives . Thus, in March, 2002 they acquired ownership of Access Bank where Herbert Wigwe was appointed Deputy Managing Director and his friend Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede emerged as the Chief Executive Officer and for 11 years they transformed Access Bank into the fourth most cherished top bank in Africa. In 2013 when Imoukuede retired, the late Herbert Wigwe stepped into his shoes as Group managing Director and Chief executive Officer GMD/CEO. With his dexterity in stabilizing Access bank to spread global reach in establishing foot holds in Dubai, China and France and Hong Kong subsidiaries thus making Access Bank as pan African Bank. It was his efforts in transforming Access bank that earned him international awards such as African banker of the Year 2020 and 2021 subsequently. This youthful banker emerged Chairman of Body of Bank CEOs which made him to be on the list of leaders in national issues involving economic development policies formulations across nations thus making Access bank to receive international Awards including Outstanding Business Sustainable Finance award at Karlsruhe, Germany, eight consecutive times from 2016 to 2023.
He led Access Bank to acquire Diamond Bank in a merger which elevated the retail client portfolio of the bank that increased the number of 50-million customers in 2023. Late Herbert Wigwe grew Access bank with over 28, 000 employees spread across the continent where you have talents and brilliant minds who contribute in building a reputable bank in Africa. In 2022 he was appointed Pioneer CEO of Access Holding Plc with special focus in Pension with Access Pension becoming the second largest Pension company in Nigeria.
If you think that late Herbert Wigwe was all work and no play, wait until you have him in his philanthropic gestures in Art, Health and Education with his interventions on key national issues which included COVID-19 as he led a private sector Taskforce tagged Coalition Against Covid-19 CACOVID which partnered with Federal government NCDC and World Health OrganizationWHO that had to combat the pandemic. Thus, Access Bank sponsored Lagos Marathon City Marathon with the biggest prize money in Africa, Access bank also sponsored Art X Lagos being the largest Art fair in West Africa and the UNICEF-ACCESS Bank Charity Shield Polo Tournament with contributions in providing Access to quality education to people in Kaduna state.
In 2016, he set up Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe -H.O. W Foundation with direct focus in Education, Health and youth empowerment. In his home state of Rivers state, he adopted Primary Healthcare Centres in 23 Local Government Areas in partnership with Private sector Health Alliance of Nigeria. In 2023 he established a private University licensed by National universities Commission NUC, in Nigeria with location in his village in Isiokpo town in Ikwerre Local government Area of Rivers state. Wigwe University according to the late Herbert Wigwe was modelled after Harvard University in the United States of America, USA where he targeted to build a fearless generation of leaders and innovators. He promised to offer a certain percentage in quota to his local community in admission policy and employment policy of the Wigwe University which was expected to take off by September in 2024.
His family life was second to none as he married his wife Chizoba Doreen Nwuba in Lagos in November 1995 the relationship begot 5 children with his first son Chizi, a replica of late Herbert himself who is graduate of Georgetown University in USA specializing Finance like his father. Tochi is the second child who also got educated at New York University NYU and Imperial College London with a Career in Banking after ten years after having two children both begot three other children David, Hannah and Okachi their last-born child.
In his lifetime late Herbert was honoured in both home and abroad as President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 awarded him national Honours of Commander of Federal Republic, CFR while Rivers state honoured him with the highest award of Distinguished Rivers state Gold Star Service Award In 2018 he was honoured a Doctoral Degree Honoris Causa Doctorate of Business administration by University of Nigeria Nsukka UNN for his outstanding and remarkable contributions towards national development. Herbert Wigwe was awarded with Fellow Chartered Institute of Bankers CIBN, Fellow Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria-ICAN
And Fellow, Institute of Credit Administration.
He died on the morning of Saturday 9th of February, 2024 (WAT) along with his wife Chizoba and his first son Chizi with three others onboard the Helicopter that crashed on its way to Nevada United states of America for Super Bowl Tournament in Nevada Today Herbert and wife are survived by four children including Tochi; David; Hannah and Okachi with his aged parents and siblings who are now left to carry on with the dreams late Herbert Wigwe left behind.
————————–Emeka Amaefula—————–+234(0)8111813069
