Power Is Temporary, Humanity Must Endure — Ambassador Alege Declares at Abuja Book Launch
Nigeria’s political elite, diplomats, jurists and scholars gathered in Abuja on Tuesday as veteran diplomat, Ambassador Shina Alege, delivered a piercing message on leadership, power, insecurity and the declining state of human compassion during the launch of five books drawn from his decades in public service.
The atmosphere at the event was more reflective than ceremonial as speakers confronted difficult national and global realities — from abuse of power and collapsing communal values to insecurity and the moral burden of leadership.
Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, who chaired the occasion, described the books as a rare fusion of diplomacy, personal experience and social conscience, warning that the issues raised by the author could no longer be ignored.
“This is far beyond a literary celebration,” Ariwoola said. “It is a serious intellectual intervention into the crises confronting leadership, humanity and governance today.”
The retired jurist said Ambassador Alege’s writings carried unusual weight because they emerged from lived experience across turbulent moments in Nigeria’s diplomatic history.
“These are not theoretical arguments crafted from a distance. They are reflections forged in service, crisis and responsibility,” he stated.
At the centre of the gathering was Ambassador Alege himself, whose remarks moved between philosophy, diplomacy and sharp social criticism.
Standing before a packed audience of ambassadors, senior lawyers, professors and government officials, the former envoy warned that many societies had lost the values that once held communities together.
“The essence of life is to build a community,” Alege declared. “What we have today is no longer community — it is a crowd. People watch suffering, record tragedies on their phones, and move on. That loss of humanity is dangerous.”
His comments drew prolonged applause from participants at the event.
The diplomat used the unveiling of his books to issue a broader warning about leadership and the temporary nature of political authority.
Speaking on one of the books, The Expiry Date of Power, Alege said many leaders behave as though power is permanent, forgetting that history eventually humbles every office holder.
“The only person that powers permanently is God Almighty,” he said. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Leadership must be exercised with restraint, accountability and conscience.”
Other books presented at the launch tackled conflict management, insecurity and governance failures across Africa.
According to the author, The Sirens and The Flags explores leadership under pressure and moments of crisis, while Insecurity and Regional Leadership in Africa interrogates the inability of African states to effectively confront rising instability and governance breakdown.
Former Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, represented by Barrister Raji Ahmed, praised the diplomat for documenting lessons from years of international service, including sensitive operations involving Nigerians trapped in conflict zones.
“Books like these are earned through sacrifice, experience and reflection,” he said. “They preserve institutional memory and challenge future leaders to think differently about service and responsibility.”
Beyond the intellectual conversations, the event became a deeper reflection on the state of society itself — one in which speakers repeatedly returned to the themes of empathy, moral leadership and national decline.
For many attendees, the strongest message of the day was not merely about diplomacy or governance, but about the urgent need to restore compassion in public life before ambition, power and indifference completely overshadow humanity.
