What Herbert Wigwe Told Me Before He Died, Last Person Who Saw Late Access Holdings CEO Alive Speaks
SOLA Faleye, Personal Assistant to the late Herbert Wigwe, former Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Access Holdings Plc, has narrated his last encounter with the deceased.
Wigwe, Chizoba, his wife, Chizzi, and his first son, Abimbola Ogunbajo, former Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group, all died in the ill-fated crash alongside two pilots.
Speaking at Eko Hotel, Lagos, where a night of tribute was held for Wigwe, Faleye narrated how he missed the flight.
“It was a sweet journey. 11 hours we flew from London. I remember in the middle of the air. I walked up to him. I said, “Sir, how comfortable are you at night flying choppers? I’ve never done it before. And he said, ‘This is America, they have a navigation system for flying choppers at night’; and I went back to my seat. And we landed. Everybody was filled with joy that we were finally almost there.
“We sat, waiting to be cleared by immigration, So coming out, we had two vans waiting, One was taking us to go aboard the chopper. The others took our luggage because they could not go on the chopper. Throughout my years of working with him, I’ve always told myself that flying that way is not a luxury for me. I am on duty. And as they were loading the pieces of luggage. And this thought came to mind. That’s okay, you fly chopper one. One hour you are there.
“The next three and half hours, the luggage is not going to come. Will I go to bed? No. I still have to sit down and wait for those luggage to come. I’m like, so why not just go with the luggage then, get there and deliver it to him and others in the room? Like I said, I always reason in the line of duty.
“And I walked up to him. I said, Sir, I think it’s safer and more secure for me to just ride and bring the luggage to you.” He said it was a brilliant idea. And I said, safe flight.”
The PA hence drove to Vegas with the bags, while Wigwe, his wife, son, and Ogunbajo took the helicopter to the same location.
Credit: Daily Trust
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