By Bidemi Adebayo
Life is good for Dr. Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan, the managing director, First Bank. He literally lives in a bubble; unfettered access to tons of money, all things bright, bubbly and beautiful at 50. Many of his peers and protégés would give a limb to swap places with him for just one day. Indeed, there are bank MDs and there is Adeduntan, a brilliant dude in charge of a major financial institution. When he turned 50 recently, he gathered his friends and associates for a ball and a blast.
He might be a fervent Muslim with an obvious zebiba(that dark patch on the forehead of some Muslims caused by the friction generated by repeated contact of the forehead with the ground during daily prayers), yet, Dr. Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan, is one of those money men versed in the art of throwing parties that would leave guests drooling and recalling and recounting long after they had held.
Last Tuesday, Adeduntan turned 50. In spite of being the second day in the Ramaddan month when Moslems across the world observe fasting, friends and family still turned up to celebrate it with pomp and ceremony. Understandably, he won’t turn 50 twice. And he didn’t need sermonising to anyone about the importance of reaching the landmark age. Thus, shelving the celebration till another day was out of the question.
Guests were welcomed to the exquisitely decorated mansion of the Adeduntans in Ikoyi, where gourmet dining had been laid out for their palette and pleasure. From carefully selected hors d’oeuvre, mouth-watering menus, to afterses that tickle and tempt, and exotic non-alcoholic wines, Adeduntan had the guests feasting and bingeing with decent abandon while soft music played in the background. Mirth and merry hovered in the air.
Except that there was no alcohol. But it was obvious to guests that good money had been expended. He was up and about attending to guests and ensuring that everybody had their fill while the music of Veentage Band had him swaying and shuffling intermittently.
