A’Ibom Gov Celebrates Uma Ukpai At 80

By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
The Akwa Ibom governor has celebrated Reverend Uma Ukpai who clocked 80 recently, describing the renowned gospel evangelist as God’s gift to the State.
Pastor Umo Eno, at a special service which took place at the International Worship Centre, Uyo, to mark Ukpai’s 80th birthday, spiced with a public lecture tagged, “The man from Ohafia”,  noted that at 80, the evangelist has made an incredible and enduring impact through seed sowing, souls winning and exponential expansion of the Lord’s vineyard. 
“I am here to join the body of Christ to celebrate a great man of God on this joyous occasion. The theme of this celebratory event – the public lecture, is “The man from Ohafia”, which is quite fitting given our father’s love for his place of birth and the pride the people of Ohafia feel about him. 
“But if I may add a corollary to the theme, I would say “The Man from Ohafia and God’s Gift to Akwa Ibom… For the most part if not the entirety of our dear father’s life as an evangelist, and a Christian warrior, Akwa Ibom has been a fabric of his life. He has projected our dear State to all corners of the world through his evangelistic pursuits”.
 Eno, who extended birthday felicitation from his colleagues in the South South, appreciated Reverend Ukpai for his support and prayers, saying, “We have benefited mightily from his wise spiritual counsel, the love he has shown to our people and our leaders is immense and we don’t take this for granted.”
He prayed God to continuously show mercy, grace, long life and unquantifiable blessings to the man from Ohafia whom God favoured in Akwa Ibom to be a vessel of blessings to humanity, while wishing him a happy birthday.
The guest speaker and General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, in his homily taken from Psalm 91:14-16, assured Christians that those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty, and will perpetually enjoy safety.
Adeboye  congratulated Reverend Uma Ukpai for joining the octogenarian’s circle, stressing that every man has an appointment to keep with God and must be prepared for the appointment which could come sooner than expected.