Cleaning 2-part paddles

I have a two-part Hobie paddle. It *barely* comes apart. It appears to have some kind of brownish corrosion in the ferrule / striations where the male and female parts connect.

How do I clean these out before I try lubricating it (with some kind of powdered graphite or dry silicone spray). I'm thinking maybe fresh water and baking soda with a toothbrush. Anyone else have any suggestions?

Thanks!

Okay, so major stupid on my part, with a minor of equipment unfamiliarity.

That was not brown corrosion. It was factory adhesive. The part is the plug-in that becomes the male part of the paddle. I cleaned off the old adhesive with a wire brush and a baking soda/water mixture. I've inserted it into the paddle using some loctite clear gel adhesive. It's setting up now. Tomorrow I'll try out inserting it into the female half. It's not biggie, the paddle is secondary to the Mirage, and since it's tandem kayak, it's the second paddle.