Nigeria, June 16 -- Twenty years ago, I got a message that Uncle Sam Amuka-Pemu, the publisher of the Vanguard Newspapers, could not be found. It was his 70th birthday and plans to mark it were in place, but the celebrant was not responding to calls. He seems to have simply vanished.

I placed a call and he picked. I congratulated him and asked him where he was. "Departure lounge," he responded. "Which airport, Sir?" ".Of the world. Once you are 70, you are at the departure lounge, waiting for your flight to be called." He similarly dodged the celebration of his 80th birthday.

A few years ago, I baked a birthday cake for him and delivered it to his residence in Abuja. I assumed he would be at his Lagos home. It was received by his housek...