President Bola Tinubu on Monday mourned the death of Rev Uma Ukpai, whom he described as “one of God’s generals.”
Tinubu said Ukpai was not just another preacher but an “anointed crusader of the faith, filled with fire and ice for the gospel and restoring humanity to discipline, love, and good neighbourliness.”
Dr Ukpai, who died at the age of 80, was an international evangelist, leader of the Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association, and a founder of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN.
In a statement he personally signed, Tinubu noted that Ukpai was born in the small town of Asaga, Ohafia, in Abia State, and that he went through his “paces, enduring challenges while passing through school. But God had his purpose well defined. He obeyed the divine call and impacted generations with his ministry.”
According to Tinubu: “He was one of the leaders in the Lord’s army who brought the fervour of revival sweeping across Nigeria and parts of Africa in the 1980s. He was a firebrand.”
Tinubu recalled the deceased’s Greater Ibadan for Christ crusade in 1982 and the Greater Lagos for Christ crusade in 1985, describing them as two phenomenal events in both proportion and impact.
He added: “Dr Ukpai’s mission was clearly to unite the Christian fold and different faiths and spread peace and harmony. He was a builder, building men and bridges linking different faiths, people, tongues, and tribes.
“He was also a humanitarian as he set up many charities, schools, and hospitals for the underprivileged.
“Dr Ukpai has fulfilled his divine mission and has gone to be with the Lord. He fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith.
“I pray that God Almighty grants him eternal rest. I commiserate with his family, especially his wife, Pastor Philomena Uma Ukpai, and his children, as well as members of his ministry. I encourage them to find solace in the great legacy of this beloved servant of God.”
