From the OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL LEADER & FOUNDER
A TRIBUTE TO GOD’S GENERAL — REV. UMA UKPAI
Today, I join countless voices across the nation and beyond to celebrate the life and legacy of a true General in God’s army — Rev. Dr. Uma Ukpai, one of the founding fathers of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and a vessel of uncommon anointing.
My first encounter with him remains etched in my heart. Though I had heard much about him before, it was in 1985 that I met him face-to-face in the company of another great father of faith, the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa, at his office in Benin City, then Bendel State. Even in that brief moment, I could feel the weight of divine presence around him — a man whose life and words carried Heaven’s signature.
A few years later, in 1990, I met him again at El-Shaddai Church, Aguda, Surulere, under the ministry of the late Archbishop Lanre Obembe, where Rev. Uma Ukpai had been invited to speak. That encounter marked a turning point in my journey as a young evangelist. He shared with me the need for the power ministry in the mission field — that the gospel must not only be preached in word but demonstrated in power.
Shortly after that divine meeting, I officiated at an Ernest Angley Crusade. At the close of the meeting, a young man came forward in tears, lamenting that he had not received his healing. Moved with compassion, I prayed for him — and right there, God confirmed His word! The news of his healing spread like fire through the crowd. That day, something shifted in my spirit; a new dimension of the healing and deliverance grace began to follow my ministry.
From that moment onward, whenever I preached, the hand of God was visibly manifested in mighty ways. That grace, I can humbly trace to the divine impartation I received through God’s servant, Rev. Uma Ukpai.
He was not just a preacher; he was a father, mentor, and torchbearer for many of us who came after him. His passion for soul-winning, his humility, and his unwavering commitment to the gospel of Christ remain a lasting legacy.
Even though God’s General has finished his earthly assignment, his impact continues to echo through generations of ministers who caught his fire and now carry his torch to the ends of the earth.
Rest on, Papa Uma Ukpai — a true apostle of power, faith, and compassion.
Your footprints in the sands of time shall never fade.
— Cardinal Olusegun Roberts
Founder, National Coalition of Apostles, Bishops, Archbishops and Cardinals of Nigeria (Apostolic and Cardinals Leadership Association Inc.)
Compiled by the chief press secretary to the office of the National leader and founder NCABAC
Dr. Benjamin okoh