Nigeria’s biggest female preacher and founder, Liberty Gospel Church (with over 250 branches in and outside Nigeria), Lady Apostle Helen Ukpabio, is so excited to be a grandmother. During the dedication of her first grandchild, Jewel, on Sunday, February 23, 2014 (at The Palace Temple, Liberty Gospel Church headquarters in Calabar, Cross River State), YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, AZUH ARINZE, cornered her for a short interview…
Congratulations Ma on the arrival of your first grandchild.
Thank you.
So, how does it feel to be a grandmother?
I feel good; right inside me, I’m so excited. It’s like what I never thought would happen and it’s happening when I’m still strong.
Were you there when your daughter, Iniobong had the baby?
No!
Where were you on that day?
I was in London, so they called me that night that she had delivered. Two days after, I came back.
Can you remember the first thing you said after the good news was broken to you?
Praise the Lord! (Stresses it). That was what I said – praise the Lord.
When you saw the child on coming back from London, what was your first statement?
I carried the child and started praying. I prayed for long…
For how many hours?
No, not for hours. But for long; up to 20 minutes. You know she was still in the hospital then.
After the long prayer, what did you say to your daughter?
I embraced her, because it’s actually surprising. It’s not something that was there; that we saw. The thing just happened. I congratulated her.
Now that you are a grandmother, is anything going to change about you?
No!
So, what advice will you give to Iniobong now that she’s also become a mother?
First, she needed to stay here (her mother’s house) to learn how to take care of the baby. So, she was well coached by me before she went back to the husband. My advice was actually the training on how to be a mother.
The dedication was today (Sunday, February 23, 2014). But before then, did you give the child any name?
No!
Do you have your own name for the child as the grandmother?
You know in my village (Ini, Mbente LGA of Akwa Ibom State), when you have the first grandchild and he’s a male, even though they can call the child any name, you can name the child after your own father. So, the child for me answers Ukpai, which is the name of my father. And that’s also the name of my grandfather.
What does Ukpai mean?
I don’t really know the meaning of Ukpai (General laughter). But I know that it’s our native name, because I see another Ukpai in the child. But people that answer Ukpai in my place, especially from my family, they are very strong people. They are strong-minded people.
A lot of people turned up for the child’s dedication, how did that make you feel?
Ah! Were there many people there today? (Yes!). Well, I’m already used to crowd. So, I didn’t really feel anyhow. Again, we didn’t really invite many people, so to say. Most of the people there were church members.
You are close to a lot of pastors. Why did you settle for Prelate Isaiah Isong to dedicate the child?
Okay, because during their wedding, the Prelate prayed for them and they loved the way he prayed and they wanted him to dedicate their child. They made the choice.
You have a grandchild now, which is one of the best things that can happen to any parent. What more do you want from God?
For my genealogy to continue. So, I pray that God will make their own family very strong and well established to move forward. So that even when I’m no more in this world, people can still trace them to me.
NB: First published March 2014