FATHER of public intellectual, Professor Dung Pam Sha, and 14 other children, Da Pam Dawang Sha, who passed on on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 is set to be buried on Friday, March 31, 2023, in his home town of Kuru, Jos, Plateau State.
Da Pam Sha, who would have clocked 87 years on his birthday, October 1 this year, hails from the Lo Mangda Family of Kuru District.
Christian burial rites would commence tomorrow, Thursday, March 30 with Service of Songs by 5pm in his family compound, Kuru, Jos, while the Final Funeral Church Service will hold on Friday, March 31 at COCIN Church LCC Kuru in Jos South LGA by 10am. Da Pam would be interred immediately after the church service at the Family Burial Ground, Kuru.
Born to the family of Da Dawang Sha and De Lyop Goro, all of blessed memory, Da Pam, popularly known among his peers as “Pwa Sha”, was the third-born in a family of four, and the last to depart the world.
Da Pam got married to the Late Ngo Kaneng Choji Rapp, popularly known as De Dung Lo Wang Sha of blessed memory in 1957.
The marriage was well blessed with 15 children, amongst whom were four sets of twins. Sadly enough, four of the children are no more.
Being hardworking parents, Da Pam Sha and wife built a strong Christian family, raising their children along the teachings of Christ and educating them even though both parents did not go far in formal western education.
While Da Pam Sha supplemented his salary with furniture-making, his wife a seamstress who also trade in textiles materials. Through a culture of industry and prudent management of their hard-earned resources, they were able to meet the social and educational requirements of their children.
As a dedicated Christians, Da Pam and wife reposed great confidence in their children and through perpetual prayers for God’s grace on and guidance of the family, to invest in their children the virtues of honesty, hard work, discipline, independent-thinking and harmonious living both within and outside the family.
A gentleman whose life was on the humble and quiet side for most of his life, Da Pam Sha lived a compassionate live of love and service to all, particularly the vulnerable, even when this path sometimes conflicted with his personal and family needs.
He was a born leader, imbued with a virtue of patience, kindness and an ever-untiring listening ear. This manifested most glaringly in the manner he led the Lo Wangsha, and indeed the Lo Manda, Families such that his brothers, sisters, cousins and distant relations relied on him for advice and leadership in times of need. In fact, because of his elderly wisdom, deep sense of fairness, justice and commitment to unity, family members from Vwang, Gyel and many other districts invited him to settle disputes in their homes.
Beyond these virtues, Da Pam was considered by his community as a very generous man. He never worried about using his personal resources to assist his kits and kin in the building of their houses in these districts.
Da Pam’s worldview was cosmopolitan, perhaps as a result of the fact that he travelled to many parts of the country in the active years of his life. This inexorably shaped and drove his principle of accommodation, sharing and pacific spirit that enabled him to make friends from across the country, many of which he maintained until death.
Da Pam Sha was a farmer and later learned carpentry which enable him to secure a job with the colonial Public Works Department (PWD) on 20th October 1956 as an Artisan.
He attended several technical and vocational courses in carpentry and joinery at the Government Technical College, Bukuru and Ministry of Works Yard, Jos, and he indeed excelled in all of them. He was blessed with numerous skills as an artisan: he could repair watches and clocks, unbundle padlocks and construct keys for positive purposes, of course. He mentored many in carpentry work.
He was seconded for most part of his working life to the present Government Science School, Kuru in the Maintenance Department. He was compulsorily retired on 1st April 1984 by the Abacha regime.
Da Pam Sha got a contract appointment with the Plateau State Polytechnic and posted to the Works Department in 1987. He left the services of the polytechnic in 1992 at the expiration of the contract appointment. Thereafter, Da Pam used his pickup van for income generation. He also set up his popular roadside supermarket which became his relaxation spot in the day time. He however dashed out the items in the shop to children and those he felt were in need.
Spiritual Life
Da Pam received Christ as his Saviour and was baptised in 1953. He served as Sunday School Teacher for many years. He was also a member of the Elders Council in COCIN Church, Kuru for some years. He was a strong member of the Men’s Fellowship Kuru-Loh for many years until age-related sickness started restricting his physical movement.
Da Pam, with other brethren, set up the Prayer House at Da Ruhup area of Kuru where he donated one of the rooms in his house for worship until a formal worship house was built. He led the prayer house for some time. He participated in the Ruhu (spiritual) movement in the 1970’s that blossomed across Plateau State and other locations in the country. He travelled to Israel on pilgrimage and visited religious sites. He had testified that that trip further strengthened his faith in the Lord.
He was strong spiritually and God was with him always. He used to tell his children scarry stories of strange spiritual happenings he witnessed and how the Lord shielded and protected him.
Da Pam was diagnosed with prostate issues which affected his movements around the community for about one year and five months. This period coincided with the demise of his beloved wife in November 2021.
Da Pam Sha is survived by 11 children, among whom is Pam Sha, a professor of Political Economy of the University of Jos, now Director of Research at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos.
Da Pam is also survived by 20 grand-children and one great-grand-child as well as daughters- and sons-in-law, which include the following:
- Prof Dung Pam Sha – son
- Mrs Chundung Jessica Polycarp Dawum – daughter
- Mrs Vou Maggei Suleiman – daughter
- Mrs Rifkatu B. Iliya Moses – daughter
- Mrs Mary Davou Mandung – daughter
- Da Sha Pam – son
- Mr Christopher Pam Sha – son
- Mrs Christiana Rume Sha– daughter
- Mr Joseph Pam Sha – son
- Mr Jacob Pam Sha – son (In School in Cyprus)
- Mr Zakka Pam Sha – son
- 4 daughters-in-law: Dr Chundung Sha; Mrs Lydia Joseph Sha; Mrs Tosin Jacob Sha and Mrs Noro Sha Pam and a grand daughter-in-law, Mrs Sandra Wang Sha,
- 20 grand children
- 1 great-grand-child
- Sons-in-law
