Access Holdings’ share price falls as Rivers communities, workers mourn
Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has confirmed collaborating with its United States counterpart, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), to hasten investigation into the crash leading to death of Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, Herbert Wigwe, his wife, son, former Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, Abimbola Ogunbajo and two others aboard the ill-fated Airbus Helicopter EC130B4 on Friday night in California.
Director, Public Affairs & Consumer Protection at NSIB, Mrs Bimbo Oladeji made the disclosure in a statement yesterday. She said in the aftermath of the incident, the Director General, Captain Alex Badeh established contact with the U.S. agency in accordance with Chapter 5, Subsection 27 of ICAO’s Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation – Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation, which grants a State (nation) special interest in an accident involving its citizens.
THIS is even as Isiokpo communities in Ikwerre Council of Rivers State, yesterday, shunned activities to mourn the departed.The Guardian gathered that the residents, dressed in black clothing, marched out with their children, chanting mourning songs around the council.
The late philanthropist had assured the people that their wards would effortlessly attend the Wigwe University he was setting up. A resident, Mrs Chitoro Nnadi, said: “We took to the streets to mourn the death of our hero, a man who came to wipe our sufferings and pains. His death has cut shut a lot of dreams and ambitions.”
ALSO Access Holdings’ share price fell by 6.26 per cent yesterday, as the group’s shareholders mourn Wigwe. Coming off a bearish week where the holdings posted a 2.25 per cent decline, the stock’s share price lost a further N1.55 to close at N23.20, from last Friday’s N24.75.
There was a high volume of activities around Access stocks, as Access Holdings was the highest-traded stock in the NGX, with 24.90 million units of ACCESSCORP exchanged. In terms of value, ACCESSCORP recorded a trading value of N575.1 million.
President of New Dimension Shareholders Association, Patrick Ajudua, offered their prayers for repose of the departed souls.
BESIDES, staff members have promised to uphold their chief executive’s legacies.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the Access Bank Headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos, the workers and customers were in a sober and pensive mood.
Though activities were going on smoothly at the head office, a water-tight security was equally put in place within and around the premises. The working environment around the bank’s branches across the country was, yesterday, solemn.
Employees were seen in groups mourning and discussing the tragic incident.
In honour of the top banker and four other persons, the financial institution lowered its corporate flags in all of its branches nationwide. A trip to different branches in Lagos showed that the flags were lowered to fly at half-mast.
Many of the entire workforce at all the branches visited by appeared at work in black attire. Some staff of the bank were seen lamenting the unfortunate departure in hushed tones.
