Akpabio under fire over comment at Wigwe funeral service

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has continued to receive backlashes for comments he made at the funeral service for the Herbert Wigwe family

Wigwe, group chief executive officer of Access Holdings, his wife, Chizoba and their son, Chizi died in a helicopter crash in the United States on February 9.

Their remains were interred on Saturday at their country home, Isiokpo, headquarters of Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.

After the event, Peterside Atedo, founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank, and convener of GoNigeria took to his Twitter handle to express disdain at the comments made by Akpabio at the funeral service of the late banker and his family.

Atedo stated, “For the record, I was among those who found the Senate President’s comments at the Wigwe Family Funeral in PH to be in poor taste.

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“He began by lamenting that @PeterObi received greater applause than he (Akpabio) got & later told us to join him in consoling the widow who was lying in one of the 3 caskets in front of him. Jokes? Political jibes at a solemn Combined Funeral?

“Methinks that was self-centred & totally insensitive”.

Earlier, Akpabio had disagreed with Rivers State governor, Simi Fubara, who had philosophically enjoined politicians not to fight so much for power as they would eventually die one day.

He said, “This one has to do with our political class. What is all this struggle all about? You want to kill, you want to bury. What is it all about?”

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Referring to the late banker, the governor said, “Here’s a man, he’s not a politician. He made his money through us – our investment. He has the world in his palm financially. He controlled even the political classes.

“But today, with all the power financially, he couldn’t control life.”

But soon after the governor’s remarks Akpabio, a one time commissioner and former governor of Akwa Ibom State, in his own remark, told Fubara not to struggle for power if there was no point in it.

He said, “Your Excellency, Governor Fubara, if there is nothing in the struggle, don’t struggle.”

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He recalled how he wanted to become the deputy governor of Akwa Ibom in 2006, but was dissuaded by then incumbent deputy governor, who told him the office has no “financial benefits.”

Akpabio said to Governor Fubara, “I will answer you. We are not talking about politics. In 2006, I wanted to become the deputy governor and the then-deputy governor invited me and said this office has no money, there is nothing in it. I don’t know why you still insist on removing me from here and taking over,” Mr Akpabio recalled.

“So, a woman who went with me said to Your Excellency, don’t wait for impeachment, just resign since there is nothing in it (the office).

“He (the deputy governor) stood up and started punching the woman. I said Your Excellency, don’t punch the woman, she is telling the truth, there is nothing in it. That’s why I want it because you are too big for it”.