[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24690]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO MR. JAMES BABATUNDE ADEGBOYE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CORRINE BROWN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 10, 2008

  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
recognize a man who stood in the forefront of helping to propel his 
countrymen to a sense of moral and ethical courage through the giving 
and sharing of one's talents for the good of the society in which he 
lived On behalf of the people of the great State of Florida, I stand 
today to recognize the personal and professional accomplishments of a 
man who loved his country and his family, and gave unselfishly of his 
time and talents to make a better place for all.
  Mr. James Babatunde Adegboye, a great family man and a financial 
expert passed on November 26, 2008, at the University of Florida & 
Shands Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. Mr. Adegboye studied 
accountancy in England in 1979, and qualified as a chartered accountant 
in 1981. For the love of his native land he turned down offers to work 
in England and went back to his native Nigeria to contribute to the 
development of the accounting profession in his country, at a time when 
the Government of Nigeria was clamoring for indigenous participation in 
the Nigerian economy. He worked in various firms to include Colgate 
Palmolive, Smurfit Cases, Associated Breweries, and West African 
Breweries as accountant and later as financial controller. These are 
companies that are either American firms or are affiliated with 
American firms. In 1988 he joined Hull Blyth Nigerian Limited, the 
parent company for Elder Dempster Shipping Agencies, African Steamship 
Company, and Blue Funnel Nigerian Limited. During his sojourn at the 
company, he developed the company's IT capabilities and facilities 
through the computerization of the invoicing processes, introduction of 
secured and efficient e-mail and container tracking applications. He 
also raised the company's staff pension funds. James Adegboye also 
served on the boards of various philanthropic organizations, and he 
provided scholarships for children of poor families.
  Mr. Adegboye was an extremely successful businessman and with his 
family, operated a family business named Jimland Investments Limited, 
with corporate headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria. Jimland Investments is a 
general trading company and business house offering substantial trading 
opportunities to local, regional, national, and international 
organizations on partnerships, consultancy, and joint ventures.
  James Adegboye will be missed not only by members of his family, but 
by many in the Nigerian community. He was a great humanitarian, and a 
role model for business and political leaders throughout the African 
continent. Mr. Adegboye is survived by his brother in the United 
States, Adekunle Sogbesan; two wives, Simisola Adegboye and Oluwatoyin 
Adegboye, as well as six children; Olajide, Mayaowa, Adekunle, Olawole, 
Yetunde, and Enitan Adegboye.

                          ____________________