An international evangelist and preacher, Rev. Uma Ukpai, on Saturday faulted Nigerians criticizing churches, particularly Dunamis International Church, Abuja, over the death of the late popular singer, Osinachi Nwachukwu (Ekwueme).
Ukpai said that most times, churches have no fault about some of the ugly incidents that befell a few individuals because information might have not been made available to act, adding that the late singer acted like someone with no helper.
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The cleric, who is the founder and president of Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association, based in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, stated this in Abuja while fielding questions from journalists at a press briefing organised by COZA in preparation for an Easter programme titled: ‘Miracles, Healings and Transformation’.
He said, “If this girl we are talking about had only told people like me what she was going through, we would have been there to support her and fight for her. While God made me a ‘big man’ that I must fight for the poor, I am ready to do it anytime, anywhere.
“To me, she acted like somebody who had nobody to help her. People like me were ready but the information was what we needed. Tell us how the man treats you, then we will confront him. He cannot run faster than our God.”
Daily Trust had reported that Osinachi died last Friday after spending days at an undisclosed hospital in Abuja.
Colleagues of Osinachi, who was a lead singer at her church accused her husband of beating her while the church said it was not aware of the assault.
Speaking further on the incident, Ukpai, who was flanked by the Senior Pastor of the COZA, Pastor Abiodun Fatoyinbo and his wife, Modele, said that he had once lost a sister to an abusive marriage.
He said, “It is a normal fact of life. Anybody who has no opposition or enemy, is nobody. When you’re hopeless wretched, stupid poor man, nobody will fight you, nobody will harass you, and nobody will even challenge you rather than beating you.
“But the church being attacked is a little bit unfair because the church has done so much and nobody is singing her praise. The girl you’re talking about that died, sang for me about three times, but she never told me she had a problem.
“People like me would have helped her, I would have confronted the man, and the day I would go, I won’t go alone, I would have gone with twelve policemen, and they will hear my questions to him but if he refuses to respond to me, I give up my dinner for 200 nights to punish him.
“That’s what I do, not what I say only. Because I once lost a sister through this type of maltreatment by her husband. I cried and I promised myself that I would not allow another girl to go through such pains.”
