The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Access Holdings Plc, Bababode Osunkoya, is dead.

Osunkoya, who was appointed to lead the board of Access Holdings a little over a year ago, was said to have died after a brief illness.

According to a statement filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) yesterday, Osunkoya died on Tuesday.

The statement signed by the Company Secretary, Sunday Ekwochi, said: “Consequent upon the tragic event, the company now has a nine-member board comprising of six non-executive directors (two of whom are independent) and three executive Directors inclusive of the group chief executive officer.”

In his time as chairman of the board of the holdings, the bank reported bumper profits with key ratios heading north.

Apart from Access Holdings Plc, Osunkoya was also on the board of Richardson Oil & Gas Limited, Haggai Mortgage Bank Limited, Freedom Foundation (Nigeria) and Guiding Light Assembly and Associate Member at Institute of Directors and Senior Partner at Abax-Oosa Professionals.

In the past Mr. Osunkoya held the position of Partner at Bababode Osunkoya & Co., Manager at Abacus Merchant Bank and Assistant Audit Manager at HLB Z. O. Ososanya & Co.

Osunkoya was a Senior Partner at the chartered accounting firm of Abax-OOSA Professionals. He boasted over two decades post-qualification experience in banking, audit, accountancy, taxation, business and financial advisory.

Osunkoya was an accounting graduate from the University of Lagos and was one of the first Certified Forensic Auditors of the Chartered Institute of Accountants of Nigeria. He was a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN). (Adapted from a THISDAY report)