By Magnus Eze
Since his conversion to Christianity in 1958, Rev. Dr. Uma Ukpai, founder/president of the non-denominational gospel ministry, Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association, has not looked back in his battle against the kingdom of darkness and the evangelism to win souls for the Kingdom of God.
An ebullient fighter for the Christendom, Uma Ukpai’s calling takes him beyond the realms of evangelism. He not only spreads the gospel of Jesus Christ, but also teaches morals for good living. He goes about directing people and pointing the way to the ultimate good. He also lends a helping hand whenever duty calls.
Born on January 7, 1945, this Uyo, Akwa Ibom-based international evangelist, who has traversed the world spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ waging spiritual wars and wining back lost souls, has stretched his arms to providing opportunities for human capital development through the Uma Ukpai Polytechnic in Asaga, Ohafia in Abia State.
He started out in life with lots of deprivations, having lost his father at a very tender age. That, however, became the stepping stone for him to rise from obscurity to become one of the greatest evangelists of Nigerian extraction.
Describing his journey through life and how it shaped him to become the philanthropist he has become, Rev. Uma Ukpai said: “I know what it means to lose a father and be a father from that age. I know what it is to save money to pay school fees. So, I have feelings for the poor. I learnt early enough to know that the stone Satan throws at you can become a stepping stone.”
This realization changed the story of his being and made him to become one man who has consciously worked to restore hope in the frustrated and the downtrodden. He now lives for the poor and the deprived and his life now revolves around creating opportunities for others and using his presence around them to radiate joy and hope.
This, he has done, through his medical outreach which, for over 30 years has touched lives and impacted positively on the poor. The medical outreach is executed through the Uma Ukpai Eye Centre, and King of Kings Hospital, both in Abia State.
Rev. Ukpai is also the brain behind the Uma Ukpai School of Theology and Biblical Studies, Uyo, as well as Uma Ukpai Polytechnic in Asaga, Ohafia. He also seeks to teach the fundamentals of business through the Joseph Business School. which is affiliated to Joseph Business School, Chicago in the United States of America (USA). He caps his philanthropic work with the Uma Ukpai Scholarship Foundation through which he has restored the hope of hundreds of children to get an education.
This great man of God, who is happily married to Philomena Uma Ukpai, with whom they have eight children, leaves no stone unturned in his quest to make things better as well as put smiles on the faces of people. He is a perfect mix of Christianity and philanthropy. He is The Sun Lifetime Achievement Award winner for 2023.