By EZEKIEL DONTINNA
The body of an elder statesman and a business tycoon, Sir Ndeh Paul Gontul Dewa, has been put to rest in his home town Kabwir Pada of Kabwir District in Kanke Local Government Area, Plateau State recently.
Born to the family of Pa Dewa Gonyok of Gung, Kabwir and Nana Beritmwa Maria Goretti Shikshida of Chigwong, on November 25, 1941, the deceased died on January 25, 2024 after a brief illness in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
Before his demise, late Ndeh Dewa was known for character building, an advocate of investment and entrepreneurship at every opportunity. He succeeded in establishing myriad of businesses that employed the youth, keeping them off the streets by instilling the spirit of discipline and success in them.
His passion for education in the middle of black holes after the death of his father before his 10th birthday, saw him attending schools like: Pankshin Holy Cross School; St. Michael Catholic Boarding School; Catholic Missionary Institute, (CMI) Kafanchan and graduated as the best student in English and Literature.
The deceased did not rest there, but continued in his educational pursuit and got admitted into the famous Ahmadu Bello University Zaria where he graduated in June 1969. Before his graduation, he was selected to be employed by the Northern Nigerian Investment Limited (NNIL) in January 1969.
According to his biography, “Ndeh Paul Gontul Dewa, was a man who believed in building character and society where everyone thrives. He was passionate about education accessibility for all. In fact, in Nigeria and the USA, he instructed students in Hausa, English and French languages”
The elder statesman, worked in several places including serving as : Chairman and Co-founder of Draco International LLC; Deputy Controller, Nigerian Bank for Commerce and Industry (NBCI) Lagos, where he led the banks team in an IFC sponsored project negotiation in London and was Chairman of Committee on Redevelopment of the old Federal Secretariat in Broad Street, Lagos, Nigeria, respectively.
Other positions held included: Pioneer General Manager, Plateau Investment Company Limited (PIC) now Plateau Investment and Property Company (PIPC) where he established Jos International Brewery Company (JIB), the brewers of Rock Lager Beer. He also worked at BARC Farms, Plateau Steel Works and Plateau Highland Bottling Company (BRITVIC) in that order, but never believed in making money for himself.
Corroborating the testimonies about him, at his Order of Wake Keep, Rev. Fr. Andrew Yakubu, described the deceased as a selfless person who had stored his treasure in heaven than on earth and encouraged Christians to emulate the virtues of the late Sir Dewa who had lived a fulfilled lifestyle while on earth.
He expressed great concern that betrayal has become an act of breakthrough in the present generation because of materialism, hence the rising cases of evil where terrorism, banditry and kidnapping took centre stage in our society unabated.
On his part, at the Requiem Mass in St. Theresa Catholic Church, Kabwir in Kanke Local Government Area, Monsignor Cletus Gotan, condoled the deceased family. He asked them to take solace in the fact that the deceased had spent his life on earth in service to humanity and God. He urged Christians to pursue peace earnestly through walking on the path of Christ.
He however, urged Nigerian politicians to fear God and bring the untold hardship being faced by Nigerians to the barest level so that the common man can feed himself.
