“In old age the consolation of hope is reserved for the tenderness of parents, who commence a new life in their children; the faith of enthusiasts, who sing hallelujahs above the clouds; and the vanity of authors, who presume the immortality of their name and writings,” Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon’s profound meditation on old age reminds us that time is the great leveller of all human endeavour. Parents find continuity in their children, the faithful place their hopes in eternity, while authors sometimes imagine that their writings may preserve their names beyond the grave. History, however, teaches a more modest lesson. Neither office nor reputation, neither wealth nor power, can suspend the relentless march of time. Every generation arrives, fulfils its appointed task, and quietly yields its place to another. It is therefore not with any presumption of immortality that I embark upon this reflection on the life of Senator (Dr.) Abdullahi Adamu, CON, Turakin Keffi. Rather, I do so with the consciousness that our earthly existence is but a fleeting interval measured by the ceaseless revolutions of day and night. Within that brief span are compressed the labours, triumphs, disappointments, sacrifices, and acts of service that together define the meaning of a human life.
