Titanic: How Nigeria’s Billionaire, Nwoko, Cheated Death

Ned Nwoko, a Nigerian billionaire has explained how he cheated death by refusing to be part of the Titanic expedition that disappeared recently with all five passengers now dead.

Five crew members, according to the U.S. Coast Guard and the company that operated the submersible, OceanGate Expeditions, were on board the submersible that went missing on June 17, while on an expedition to explore the wreckage of the Titanic in the North Atlantic.

Three businessmen Hamish Harding, Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a French adventurer and a Titanic expert, who led six expeditions to the ship’s wreckage site have now been certified dead by the US authorities.

Speaking on the disaster that shocked the entire world, Nwoko, the senator representing Delta North, said he was invited to join the expedition by Harding, a long-time friend but had to stay away due to national duties.

His decision not to embark on the trip, he explained, saved him from being among those that died in the ill-fated expedition.

The senator who wrote on his verified Twitter handle said he had once embarked on a similar expedition with Harding, who he described as a lover of adventure to Antarctica.

Nwoko said,  “I have lost a very dear friend and business partner, Captain Hermish Harding. We both went on a very dangerous expedition to Southpole Antarctica a few years back. He was a Gulfstream pilot who flew across the world in a record-breaking expedition by the Guinness world record for circumnavigation of the Earth some years ago.

“He descended into the Mariana. He also invited me on his space shuttle last year and this very Titan ill-fated adventure but I was tied down with national duties. Above all, he was a partner on the various research into eradication of malaria in Africa project. He was very enthusiastic about it and always gave his support at every given opportunity.

“His last message to me was this last Sunday when he told me they were ready to dive into the Titanic if the weather permits. He loved adventure and challenges. My heart bleeds for his dear wife and kids who have become family friends over the years. We will surely miss his wealth of experience.”

Meanwhile, James Cameron, Director of the epic Titanic movie, on Friday, blamed the carbon fiber composite construction hull of the doomed OceanGate submersible for its tragic implosion.

He said, “You don’t use composites for vessels that are seeing external pressure. They’re great for internal pressure vessels like scuba tanks, for example, but they’re terrible for external pressure.”