Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede: A Friend of All Seasons

I am very sure that Herbert in his last moments would have looked across at his ever-beautiful wife and with a last smile said “Don’t worry, Aig will take care of everything.”

For me and in all of these, it’s the bond of friendship that has really caught my attention. These two, Aig and Herbert, from all the tributes that were said and from all we know about them, had built a super tight bond that was almost spiritual and which lasted to the very end.

For over 30 years, they had been together, sharing their dreams, and visions, facing challenges together, winning together and emerging as two of the most influential bankers of all time.

The story of Aigboje and Herbert is a story of perseverance, bold engagement and an entwining of two souls into a huge force that variously impacted not only Nigeria but the world.

At the venue of the event, an Access Bank staff member slithered to me and in a very low voice said, “Edgar, I hope Aig will not break down, he has been the ones consoling us, cheering us up and leading the push. He has been very very strong since all of these happened.”

I smiled and walked away looking for food only for me to now see the footage of Aigboje finally losing it during his own turn to speak.

With friends like Aigboje in your corner, you can go to bed with both eyes closed. His has not been a pyrrhic friendship. A friendship that we are all used to, the kind that would backstab, and take advantage of your vulnerabilities even while still smiling with you and sharing a plate of Afang with you. This wasn’t the friendship they both shared.

Aigboje has been more than a friend in this saga. He has stood like a man, gave strength and courage to others, led the push to perfectly honour his fallen brother and has been the arrowhead of all that needs to be done to not only give Herbert, his wife and son a befitting burial but to also immortalise them in glory.

Well done sir, but I pray you can find time in all of these to just lock yourself in a room and just cry!!!. Just cry my guy and it will be  alright. God will give you strength.