Bulus Shogos Gambo

Born to Da Gambo Shogos and Ngo Inbik Kachollom Gambo Shogos on March 2, 1956, Bulus Shogos Gambo lived a life of service to his community. He started his life in the subsistence farming community of Seh, Bachit in Riyom Local Government area of Plateau State, populated by predominantly Berom-speaking people. He attended primary school from the age of six in the town of Kurra Falls in Plateau State of Nigeria. The magnificently beautiful town of Kurra Falls is a very important electricity producing town. However, most of its citizens at the time of Bulus’ birth were also subsistence farmers. This was true of his family. Although his early life was characterized by a lot of hard work and hardship, Bulus persevered and continued to support his mother who was dealing with a very debilitating illness. He would often talk about how, from an early age, he always made sure his mother was well fed and well taken care of. His last three years of primary education were in the city of Barakin-Ladi, again in Plateau State.

After completing his primary education, he achieved good results which allowed him to enter the prestigious Government Technical College Makurdi in the current Benue state. It was at this institution, which was over 300 km from his home, that he earned his West African Secondary Certificate and the City and Guilds London Insititute Certificate as a licenced Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic in 1976. This was a major achievement for young Bulus because at that time, only a small percentage of elementary school graduates continued to higher education. His high achievement at Makurdi resulted in him receiving a scholarship to continue his post-secondary education in Canada at George Brown College in Toronto, where he earned the HVAC Engineering Technician Diploma in 1979. After his studies, he gave up the opportunity to enter well-paying employment in Canada and returned to Nigeria in 1981 to serve his beloved country. He landed a job at his alma mater teaching and mentoring heating and cooling technicians of the future. A job he performed with distinction.

It was during his return to Nigeria that he married his sweetheart, Victoria Bulus Gambo Shogos. The young couple were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Kachollom Bulus Gambo Shogos. Life was going quite well for this young family for a little while. However not long after the birth of his daughter, circumstances forced Bulus to return to Canada in 1983 for better opportunity for himself and his family. Since then, he worked in several places in Toronto. His best days in employment were at the Women’s College Hospital in Toronto where he excelled as a cooling and heating technician. It was at the Women’s College Hospital that he formed some of his lasting friendships. He continued to support his family back in Nigeria during these good times.

Unfortunately, issues of a wellbeing nature entered his life at a point when plans to sponsor his family were about to materialize. This resulted in him changing jobs quite frequently and dealing with periods of underemployment or unemployment. Things significantly improved for him in due course. This culminated in his important visit to his family in 2006. This allowed his daughter, Kachollom to reconnect with a father that she saw last when she was just a baby. She also had the opportunity to confirm her long held belief that her father was an amazing man contrary to what other people gossiped about.

There aren’t a lot of Northern Nigerians who visited Toronto in the mid – 1980s into the 2000s that can say they did not receive help from Bulus. He opened his home and shared his meals with scores of Nigerians who visited or landed in Toronto. Many benefitted from his knowledge of the Canadian system especially as it related to looking for work, finding housing, getting admission to schools and acclimatizing to a new country. He would drive them to their places of employment and/or education. For many years, he shared his time and talents with many of them. When the Association of Northern Nigerians in Canada (ANNIC) was formed, he was a major supporter of their programs and activities. ANNIC misses our dear brother.

May God grant his daughter, Kachollom, his wife, Victoria and their family the strength and peace of mind to bear this loss. These are difficult times for them and may they be comforted. As Kachollom says, “my daddy is lucky because God has taken him away out of love. I hope the almighty God give us the strength to bear the loss. God took you Daddy because he needs you more than we do. We will miss your presence and wisdom forever. May the Almighty grant you peaceful rest. Love you Dad.”

Bulus Shogos Gambo was cremated as per his wishes. He is survived by his daughter, Kachollom Gambo Shogos; his wife, Victoria Bulus Gambo Shogos; his half siblings, Elizabeth Shogos, Ngo Yop Shogos, Deborah Shogos and Yohanna Shogos; many other family members; and his friends from the relationships he formed during his over 66 years on earth. May his soul rest in peace with our living God. AMEN!!!