The Chairman of the Board of the National Credit Guarantee Company Limited (NCGC) and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara has expressed profound grief over the passing of the revered evangelist and founder of the Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association, Rev Uma Ukpai. He described him as a spiritual colossus, a fearless general of faith, and a global ambassador of the gospel of Christ.
In a heartfelt condolence message, Dogara said the late Ukpai was an extraordinary servant of God whose ministry shook nations, transformed lives, and carried an enduring mark of divine power. He described his passing as a monumental loss to the Body of Christ and humanity at large.
“Rev Uma Ukpai was not just a preacher — he was a divine phenomenon. His voice carried fire, his prayers carried power, and his messages carried authority from the throne of grace. He was a true General in God’s army — a man whose life and ministry radiated light in a dark world,” Dogara stated.
During his encounter with the late preacher, Dogara recalled attending Rev. Ukpai’s famous ‘Thank God It’s Wednesday’ house fellowship during his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) days in Uyo, describing those moments as deeply transformative and spiritually enriching.
“Those Wednesday meetings were not ordinary gatherings — encounters with the supernatural. The atmosphere was always charged with God’s presence, and Rev. Uma Ukpai ministered with rare boldness, deep insight, and heavenly authority. He spoke as one sent by God, and every word pierced the soul,” Dogara recounted.
Dogara described the late evangelist as a man of immovable faith, rare humility, and unyielding devotion to the gospel. “Rev. Uma Ukpai’s kind of ministry was unique and strange in its depth, consistency, and authenticity. From the beginning, he charted a spiritual course that was distinctly his own — marked by power, simplicity, and purity — and maintained that same divine pattern faithfully through all the decades of his ministry,” Dogara added.
According to him, the late General of Faith remained steadfast in his message of salvation, healing, and revival, never compromising his divine mandate for earthly applause. “He was a man of one focus — winning souls and glorifying God. His ministry broke denominational walls and united believers across boundaries. He was indeed a father to many, a teacher to the church, and a voice of heaven to the world,” he noted.
Dogara extended his deepest condolences to the family of the late evangelist, the Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association, and the entire Christian community, praying that God would strengthen them and grant them the grace to carry forward his enduring vision.
“Though we mourn, we celebrate a life poured out for God. Rev. Uma Ukpai has not died; he has changed address — from the battlefield of faith to his eternal rest in glory. He has finished well, fought well, and left behind an indelible legacy of faith and power,” Dogara declared.
He described the late evangelist as a blazing light that would never dim.
“Rev Uma Ukpai was a man apart — a true apostle of the miraculous, a prophet of revival, and a living witness of God’s power on earth. His kind may never walk this path again. Indeed, a mighty General of Faith has returned home to glory — and his legacy will burn brightly through generations yet unborn.”
