[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 9472-9473]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY OONI ADEYEYE ENITAN BABATUNDE OGUNWUSI, 
                     OJAJA II, THE OONI OF ILE IFE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 20, 2016

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the commitment 
to peace, respect and dignity by His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye 
Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi Ojaja II, The Ooni of Ile Ife.
  About four decades ago in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, Ooni Adeyeye 
was born into the Giesi Ruling House, Ojaja Royal Compound of 
Agbedegbede in Ile-Ife.
  He was named Adeyeye Babatunde Enitan.
  Ooni Adeyeye Ogunwusi was quietly delivered into the humble family of 
Prince Ropo and Late Mrs. Margret Wuraola Ogunwusi (Soji Opa family 
compound, Ile Ife).
  His father was a radio and television anchor and presentation star 
that spanned the entire mid-1980s to early 21st century in the 
Southwestern part of Nigeria.
  Though born quietly, Ooni Ogunwusi's excellence and outstanding 
acumen recently announced itself for the world to behold, as he was 
crowned the 51st Ooni of Ife on the 7th of December 2015.
  Before his emergence as the Ooni, being an astute entrepreneur, 
driven by turning ``impossibilities to possibilities'', Ooni Ogunwusi's 
Power of Imagination has set him aside, revolutionizing the approach to 
creativity and innovation, making a mark in his immediate society and 
beyond.
  He holds HND Accountancy from The Polytechnic in Ibadan, Nigeria.
  Professionally, he is a Member of the Institute of Chartered 
Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN); the Institute of Directors (IOD) Nigeria 
and the Global Real Estate Institute (GRI).
  Indeed, his achievements in less than six (6) months of ascending the 
throne as Ooni of Ife are impressive.
  This bridge builder and advocate of peace had travelled to many parts 
of Nigeria, preaching unity and peace among traditional rulers and 
promoting youth empowerment to reduce crime rate and unemployment in 
the society.
  He engaged about 200,000 youth for empowerment through Agriculture to 
complement government efforts to further reduce crime rate and 
unemployment in Nigeria.
  He has acquired 30 square miles of land in Ile-Ife for agricultural 
investments in cocoa, oil palm and rubber plantation which has a great 
potential for the diversification of Nigeria's economy.
  His Majesty commenced construction work at the multi-billion naira 
Ife Grand Resort, spanning over 1000 acres of land in Ile-Ife, South-
West Nigeria.
  Over 3,000 youth are employed at the project site of the Resort.
  His Majesty donated of 100 Transformers (250KVA) to various 
communities to improve power/electricity supply in Ife Land.
  He empowered over 20,000 widows who are war victims and engaged them 
for palace and community sanitation with weekly benefits for their 
upkeeps.
  He has reached out to over 50 countries through their Ambassadors and 
country representatives in Nigeria, advocating global peace and 
promoting unity with a core focus on Africans and the entire black 
race.
  He was appointed Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, by 
the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
  Prior to his ascension to the throne, he was involved in Engineering, 
Procurement and Construction (EPC) locally and abroad for over 13 
years.
  He facilitated strong trade relationship through the Association for 
International Business (AIB) with presence in over 200 member countries 
across the globe which he set up in Nigeria.
  One of the key achievements of this body is the trade facilitation 
between the United Arab Emirates (Jebel Ali free Trade Zone 
development) and the Federal Government of Nigeria through Nigerian 
Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC).
  He developed over 2,500 housing units with various consortia of 
developers over the last 8 years in Nigeria.

[[Page 9473]]

  He was also a co-organizer for Ondo State Economic Planning and 
Implementation Committee.
  He led the Government delegation team to Canada in 2002 for strategic 
alliances and partnership with Ondo State Government on solid mineral 
potentials of the State (Bitumen, Dimension Stones, Granite, etc.) 
which led to the formation of Amalgamated Mining and Exploration 
Company Limited--wholly owned by Ondo State Government.
  He was involved in the facilitation and development of Sparkwest 
Steel Galvanizing Plant (the only Steel Galvanizing Plant in Nigeria), 
National Iron Ore Mining Company Limited and Jakura Mines resuscitation 
projects, which has eventually become the major limestone feed stock to 
Obajana Cement Plant in Kogi State, Nigeria.
  He facilitated the biggest Lead and Aluminum recycling plant in 
Nigeria by National Steel Company of India, Ota Nigeria.
  He facilitated the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria to discourage 
Nigerians reliance on importation of rice in 2004.
  He was the initiator of Essential Homes, a real estate product 
launched in January 2014, formed to deliver affordable upscale homes to 
the middle and low income earners.
  The 1st phase of the product (The Southpointe Estate, Lafiaji Road, 
Lekki, Lagos State) started in February 2014, and has been successfully 
delivered within 1 year.
  He developed the beautiful North Pointe Estate Phase I, II, III and 
Midland Court, on Chevron Drive, Lekki, and Jacob Mews Estate, Yaba, 
Lakeview Park I and II Estates, Lekki, the ongoing Golden Leaf Estate 
Lafiaji, Lekki and Grand Lake Estate Ajah, Lagos.
  As part of his commitment to provide good infrastructure in terms of 
access to roads and electricity for the Lafiaji community, he led the 
opening up and reconstruction of a 6.5 km road, with a 1.1 km green 
extension along the Lafiaji/Orchid Hotel road without Government 
intervention.
  He established the multi-billion Naira Inagbe Grand Resorts and 
Leisure, Lagos, Nigeria.
  The Resort is first of its kind in the whole of West Africa, bounded 
by the Lagoon and Atlantic Ocean.
  He was also the Director of Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank Limited, 
(formerly GTHomes), a leading National Mortgage Bank and former 
subsidiary of one of the biggest banks in Africa, GTBank.
  He was Director of FinaTrust Microfinance Bank Limited, one of 
Nigeria's foremost Microfinance Banks focusing on SMEs and micro credit 
facilities.
  He is the Founder and Managing Director of Gran Imperio Group, the 
holding company of Real Estate and Construction, Manufacturing, 
Facilities Management, Leisure and Tourism companies in Nigeria.
  Mr. Speaker, I have the honor of presenting to you an outstanding 
contributor to Nigeria's prosperity, peace and youth employment.
  A man considered the custodian of beautiful and rich Yoruba culture 
and tradition.
  He is an international business icon, a man of substance, humility, 
peace, public service, means and substance.
  He is a great achiever and administrator par excellence, he is the 
reincarnation of Oduduwa and father of the Yoruba Nation.
  Please join me in honoring his Imperial
Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, The Ooni of 
Ile Ife.''

                          ____________________