Senior Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) City of David parish Lagos, Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, has paid glowing tributes to the Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holding Plc, Herbert Wigwe who died in a chopper crash in the United States at the weekend.
Iluyomade, during the service titled Barrier Shattering Thanksgiving (Sunshine Service), described Wigwe as God’s general who donated generously to the church and its activities.
He recalled how Wigwe spent about N500 million on God’s children’s great talent project and how he adopted a lot of children.
Wigwe, his wife, Doreen; son Chizi and a former group chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, died in a helicopter crash near a border town between California and Nevada.
He said, “All through the night, I and Pastor Siju were talking to God. Wigwe was a man who had a heart for God. He served God. We were asking questions: Who can we turn to but Jesus? I’m sure a lot of people have questions. I want to encourage you; Jesus is a burden-bearer. He understands all things. Cast all your burdens on him.
“Wigwe did a lot of good work. He was an amazing servant of God. He had eternity in sight. The only things that follow us when we pass on are our good works. His life has challenged us.
“I remember when we wanted to build a school at Makoko for the indigent students, and we needed to pay the teachers and feed the students every day. Wigwe came and said he wanted to partner with us, and together with his foundation, the Herbert Wigwe Foundation, and the City of David, we were able to build the Makoko school that endures today.
“When we wanted to start God’s children’s great talent project, he partnered with us again. While we spent about N300 million, he spent about N500 million to raise talent. He had a heart for the things of God.
“He loved children; he gave scholarships to children. He adopted a lot of children and took care of them. For years, he has been quietly paying for the stipend/salary of the City of David classical choir. It has been amazing for years. Every month, he paid them. At the Christmas concert, he funded them. He did great work in this place. As he was doing it here, he was doing it all over.
“He was a blessing to God and humanity. His life was profitable to all. I commiserate with the Chairman of the Building Fund and his wife.
“Wigwe was the chairman of the finance committee with Pastor Siju and I remember when we wanted to start the fund-raising. He took us to Eko Atlantic; he put a marquee there; he brought people from America to come and see; and in that event, we raised about N600 million. One would have thought he would sit back; he kept going. He told me we’d do it.
“When this place was ground zero, he paid five years rent for a branch when there was nothing just to assist, then later he said I’d give you two branches, one on the left and one on the right, and he paid five years each (ten years). Nobody would support a greenfield, but if you’re built, yes, you can go. One of his purposes was to assist us.
“When we needed to take finance from the bank, when the contractors left the site, he gave us the money. Herbert was supporting us. His wife was also supporting him. He’ll call his wife, bring N20m, bring N10m, and she’ll support him. He’ll call his friends, too.
“About two weeks ago, when we went to meet him (Wigwe), we told him that for project 2.4, we had paid over a billion in December; they told us to pay another one billion. We went back and forth, and I said, Okay, gather people, those that can redeem immediately and those that can pledge that can be sure to redeem in one year, that I will give one billion interest free just to help us pay the bank. I’m sure his work will speak for itself.
“Hebert comes to my house and office, and we pray. That’s why it is so difficult to understand the turn of events, but then again, God is sovereign. We thank God for Herbert’s life. God says, in all things, give thanks. We thank God for giving us Hebert and his wife. We pray to God to comfort his family. His life has challenged me.”