Posted by While paying respect to Herbert Wigwe, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, Alhaji Lamido Sanusi II, who was formerly the Emir of Kano, broke down in tears.
Speaking to the assembled mourners on Wednesday night, Sanui disclosed what the late 57-year-old Wigwe had done for him following his deposal as Emir of Kano by the late Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
My worst fear was that I would pass away and abandon Herbert. His fidelity has been bruited about, Sanusi added with an emotionally charged tone.
About six months before I was instructed to leave Kano, I contacted him while I was having issues there. This is what I’m confident is going to happen, Herbert, and I know you’re doing your hardest to fix everything.
“Your Highness, there’s no need to be concerned,” he told me. You need not be concerned about anything. “We are here to support you.” I contacted him and expressed my desire to visit Lagos the day I learned of my dethronement on the radio.
Following the announcement at 9 a.m., Herbert had a jet waiting on the Kano tarmac by noon. The next step was to exile me for a long time. Without so much as a phone call, I sent my family flying to Lagos. Herbert took them in and booked a room at a nearby hotel.
Subsequently, he secured lodging for them. They remained there for months until my arrival. Your Highness, all you have to do to go on a trip is give Shola a call.
It was the late Access Bank CEO and his business partner Aig Imoukhuede, according to Sanusi, who were instrumental in his five years of success at the Central Bank of Nigeria.
He went on to describe how the two of them worked together to address a major problem facing the banking industry at the time.