Clergy offers free surgeries, upgrades eye centre to mark 80th birthday

To mark his 80th birthday on January 7, 2025, the father of Pentecostal Christian movement in Nigeria and the President of Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association (UUEA), Rev. Dr. Uma Ukpai, has upgraded Uma Ukpai Eye Centre Asaga Ohafia, Abia State, to provide more specialist laser cataract surgeries for the indigent in rural areas.

The centre was established for clinical, surgical and optical services on February 2, 2016, to serve a cluster of rural communities, who hitherto wouldn’t have accessed affordable quality eye care services .

The Guardian gathered that over 500 indigent people have benefited from the free laser cataract eye surgeries and more are expected to benefit on January 7, 2025, during Rev Uma Ukpai’ 80th birthday.

The Uma Ukpai Eye Centre Asaga Ohafia serves six Local Councils of three neighbouring states with an estimate of about 80 to 120 rural communities.

The Eye Centre is the Ophthalmology Department of the King of Kings Specialist Hospital, Asaga Ohafia.

In 2021, Reverend and Mrs Uma Ukpai upgraded the Eye Centre to have the capacity for Phacoemulsification Cataract Surgery Services, which some refer to as “Laser Cataract Surgery.”

“I know what it is to save money to pay school fees, so I have feelings for the poor, for I know what it means to be poor. I learned early in life that the stone satan throws at you can become your stepping staircase to life of abundance.

“A river that does not flow out cannot produce good water. A giver will always find favour with God and man,” Uma Ukai said.

His Evangelist Association, which functions as a bridge building between different denominations regularly holds city wide crusades like The Greater Lagos Crusade For Christ which gave birth to the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN); Greater Ohafia Crusade For Christ and One million Man crusade.

Dr Uma Ukpai is the Chairman of the King of Kings hospital and Uma Ukpai Eye Specialists Hospital all in Asaga, Ohafia in Abia State.
He is also the proprietor of Uma Ukpai School of Theology and Bible Studies Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

He owns the Uma Ukpai Polytechnic, Asaga and a fashion school in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

He is married to Dr (Mrs) Philomena Uma Ukpai and they are blessed with seven children.

Consultant Ophthalmologist & Phaco Surgeon at Uma Ukpai Eye Centre Asaga Ohafia, Dr Anya Kalu, said: “Everyone wants quality, and we are very grateful to Reverend and Mrs Uma Ukpai for this gift of sight to humanity.

“One would like to acknowledge that the Uma Ukpai Eye Centre Asaga Ohafia, Abia State Nigeria is probably the third Centre that has the capacity for regular Phacoemulsification Cataract Surgery in Abia State and one of the few located in a rural area.

“It is in gratitude that I say thank you to Reverend and Mrs Uma Ukpai, for upgrading the eye centre.

“It’s easy to waive it off as a rural eye centre. But apparently, we are no longer ‘rural’ as it were. We have instruments that most Teaching Hospitals in Nigeria do not have.”

On his part, Chief Medical Director of King of Kings Specialist Hospital, Asaga Ohafia, Dr Idika Otunwa, said the hospital, which is a medical arm of the Uma Ukpai Evangelical Association, came into existence in 1999, but started full operation in July 2000.

“The hospital is a 20, 50, 100 bedded institution located at a very serene environment in Asaga Ohafia, the hometown of the founder and CEO, Rev Dr. Uma Ukpai,” she explained.