By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
The Senate yesterday observed a minute silence in memory of the late Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, Herbert Wigwe, who died in a helicopter crash in the United States on Friday.
Wigwe died in the crash along with his wife, Chizoba, and his son, Chizzy.
The crash also claimed the life of the former Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Abimbola Ogunbanjo.
The Senate in a resolution it passed after it considered a motion of urgent public importance moved by Senator Allwell Onyesoh (Rivers State), urging his colleagues to extol the virtues of Wigwe.
The Senate called for a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the accident.
It specifically asked the Nigerian Government to collaborate with the US to ensure that a thorough probe was carried out.
The Senate further resolved to send a delegation to the burial of Wigwe when announced.
Several senators, in their contributions to the debate, commended Wigwe for his exemplary lifestyle of professionalism and philanthropy.
Making his submissions, Senator Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto-South), described Wigwe as a “pan-Nigerian, and one of our best hands in the financial system of our dear country.”
Tambuwal recalled that Wigwe was born in Oyo State and had his secondary education at Federal Government College Sokoto.
He said, “While I was the governor of my state, he visited me. He asked my uncles what he would do for them. They appealed to him to sponsor them to Hajj. He gave them 10 seats as Christian, for them to go on Hajj. That was Herbert Wigwe for you.
“We spoke last on the 1st of February. He said he called to say hello to me because we had not seen each other for a while. He wanted me to visit him and inspect the Wigwe University project. Well, that day will never come again”, Tambuwal added.
Senator Gbenga Daniel, in his contribution, said Nigeria had lost a personality that would be long to replace.
Daniel, a former governor of Ogun State, also drew the attention of his colleagues to the death of Abimbola Ogunbanjo in that helicopter crash
“We also lost in that accident, a very distinguished Nigerian, Abimbola Ogunbanjo Bimbola. We mourn the Wigwes and Ogunbanjo, and we pray to God to grant their souls eternal rest”, he said.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Senator Adetokumbo Abiru, spoke in a like manner, saying that Wigwe and Ogunbanjo were “brilliant professionals.”
On his part, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Ahmed Wadada, noted that Wigwe’s impact was felt beyond banking.
He recalled, “He was everywhere doing anything that could add value to humanity. He ventured into areas other people were afraid of.
“At one point, he wanted to acquire Afribank, which never worked. He later went on to acquire Intercontinental Bank at a time when nobody wanted to go close to that bank. He took Access Bank beyond Nigeria and wanted to acquire 65 per cent of Standard Chartered Bank in Africa.”
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, summing up the debate, said Wigwe was a “pan-Africanist, who took Access Bank beyond the shores of Nigeria.”
He added, “He died along with his dear wife, son, and another illustrious Nigerian, Abimbola Ogunbanjo.
“We can’t question God for all that happened. He paid school fees for indigent students, and Hajj fares for people.”
UK lawyers can’t practice in Nigeria, FG recants
The Federal Government yesterday recanted on its earlier statement indicating that lawyers in the United Kingdom are allowed to practice in Nigeria.
The Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, in a statement, highlighted that the UK-trained lawyers can practice in Nigeria following an Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership signed by Nigeria and the UK on Tuesday.
However, after fierce criticism, particularly by the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Uzoka-Anite retracted her earlier statement.
In a series of posts on her X account, Uzoka-Anite said: “Earlier today, Nigeria signed a far-reaching MoU with the United Kingdom for Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership.
“Regrettably, our earlier report erroneously suggests that Nigeria has signed a Memorandum of Understanding that allows lawyers licensed in the United Kingdom to practise in Nigeria. We wish to state emphatically that there is no such provision or agreement in the MoU.”
The minister explained that Nigeria does not have a Mutual Recognition Agreement with the UK and made no commitment under the MoU or elsewhere to allow UK-licensed lawyers to practise in Nigeria.
“As it currently stands, foreign licensed lawyers (including those licensed in the UK) cannot practise in Nigeria, as categorically stated in the MoU.
“We recognise that cross-jurisdictional practice between Nigeria and the United Kingdom is still an ongoing conversation amongst relevant stakeholders within the legal practitioners’ community in Nigeria, and this was reflected in the MoU,” she added.
Recall that the NBA President, Yakubu Maikyau, had condemned the purported agreement in a statement on Tuesday, stating that the statement credited to the Minister was “ridiculous, unpatriotic, and uninformed”.
