The dance between General Obasanjo and Admiral Adelanwa which took place recently had its generous share of the social media space with many wondering if it was not one of those TikTok gimmicks. I can confirm that it was not AI generated. It actually took place at the 90th birthday celebration of Admiral Michael Adelanwa, a former Chief of Naval Staff whom General Obasanjo claimed to have known and been friends with for over fifty years. I can also confirm that it took place in two stages. The first stage was during the Thanksgiving in church while the second, much longer bit, took place at the Naval Dockyard reception. Both were initiated by General Obasanjo, the ?younger man? who also happens to have been ?boss? at some point in their long relationship. Being a member of ?The Emeralds? gave me a ringside seat at both occasions. ?The Emeralds? was founded almost four decades ago by Admiral Adelanwa. But he is more than a founder. He is the livewire of the club, infusing a mixture of camaraderie and discipline often lacking in many social clubs. He leads by example, attending every monthly meeting except he is indisposed and is often among the earliest to show up. Being a member of the esteemed club also gives me a rare insight into the mindset of a trained military officer. Although sociable and affable, Admiral Adelanwa can be impatient and sometimes dismissive of what he doesn?t agree with. But he is a decisive leader who knows where the buck stops and accepts the responsibility of leadership. He talks often of his military training and of Government College Ibadan, his alma mater, with pride. He is a very contented man who has lived well within his means since retirement. Seeing the two Generals tango on the dance floor on these two occasions brought nostalgic memories of when they were both members of the Supreme Military Council, the country?s highest decision making body at a time. Although age has taken its toll, they have both worn the passing years well and I am sure their military discipline has a lot to do with it. May they continue to enjoy their twilight years. Happy 90th birthday sir!

The month of March also witnessed another high profile birthday. Our President Bola Tinubu celebrated his 73rd birthday last month as well. Although drums were not rolled out in the classic Nigerian sense, and no ?grand reception? was said to have taken place, a different set of drums was beaten. Led by the Vice President, some members of his government came forward on the day to pay glowing tributes to the President on what they believed to be his courageous, charismatic leadership. They talked about his taking difficult but necessary decisions that his predecessors had previously sidestepped. They talked about how he is bringing developments to every part of the country. They talked about his impact on the socio/economic landscape. One even talked about how he was still given a job despite having criticized the President on numerous occasions in the past. There is nothing wrong with reading out a scorecard especially if you believe it?s a pass mark. After all, if you don?t blow your trumpet, you should not expect others to blow it for you. But it can be counterproductive or even injurious if it is at variance to other examiners? scorecard. My first reaction therefore, was that the reading of the scorecard was premature in the circumstances. There is still too much suffering in the land for any chest thumping. Worse, the gap between the very poor and the very rich is widening. My second reaction in the light of this, is that the padded scorecard could send a wrong message to Mr President about an economic turnaround. Indeed, I could see a sign of it in the President?s demeanor. Although he talked about the need to continue to work hard, I could sense a self-congratulatory smirk on his face as he responded to the tributes. I could feel him preening when he talked about food prices coming down. The reality unfortunately, is different for those who are finding it difficult to feed themselves.

For the record, I have always felt the fuel and currency subsidies should have been removed. Retaining them in the face of our revenue realities was unsustainable and in the end, irresponsible. As a follow up, I have also always felt that the prodigal spending of the Executive and the Legislature should be curbed. Financial discipline should be top down and not bottom up. It still has not been curbed and therein lies the basis for the angst and resentment that people feel against what they see as a callous leadership. In my opinion, this year is better than the one before in fiscal terms. Currency is stable, cost of fuel has come down leading to a drop in the price of food. Inflation is stable if not lowered. But it is not yet Uhuru. Far from it. Especially now with the looming Trade War caused by a unilateral declaration of a worldwide Trade Tariff by the US. I sincerely hope our leaders will be strategic when thinking of the long term interest of the country for once as we face this headwind.

There were deaths in the month of March as well that touched me. Dr Doyin Okupe, a politician and Medical Doctor passed on after a protracted illness. A warm and ebullient personality, Dr Okupe was called Dory C or simply Dory by his close friends in his school days and out of earshot, ?my bedmate? by me on account of the fact that we once shared a double bunk together in school. He had always been very voluble; some will say controversial. He had always been brilliant. The combination means he was not likely to be a mere wallpaper in a room. It means he was not a man to be overlooked or ignored in a gathering. He made an impact in his calling as a politician and his profession as a Medical Doctor. May he now be allowed to rest in peace. Particularly touching was the death of Bisola Kola-Daisi at 44. My heart goes out to Mrs Florence Ajimobi, the wife of the former Governor of Oyo State who has now lost her husband and first daughter within five years. And to Mrs Ronke Fetuga who also lost her first child and only daughter. Only a few can understand the numbness they will be feeling now; only a few can decode the vacant look in their eyes. But they should be rest assured that time heals and God heals. We pray to God to give them the necessary strength to go on. Their sun will still shine.

?Muyiwa Adetiba is a veteran journalist and publisher. He can be reached via titbits2012@yahoo.com

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