By Paul Udokang (Rabbi)
There are people who think faith and science live on opposite sides of the universe. Then there are people like our priest, who calmly walks into the sanctuary with a Bible in one hand and an electrical circuit diagram in the other, proving that heaven clearly has good wiring.
We grew up together. Same dusty roads, same childhood mischief, same dreams whispered under the stars. Somewhere along the line, while some of us were still figuring out life, he figured out two vocations at once: serving God and mastering electrons. Because apparently, saving souls alone was not enough, he also decided to make sure the lights stay on.
Recently, this man, already ordained, already wearing the collar, already preaching eternal truths went ahead and graduated with a degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering. Yes. A full priest. A full engineer. One cassock. One multimeter. One extraordinary calling.
A Small Stature, a massive calling. Now let us address the miracle everyone notices first. This priest is not tall. In fact, when God was distributing height, he clearly said, โLet others handle the vertical measurements, this one I will fill with purpose.โ
He may be short in height, but do not be deceived. When he stands on the altar, heaven adjusts its angle. When he climbs a ladder to fix electrical faults, the ladder humbly apologizes for being necessary. His feet may not touch the ground for long, but his impact surely does.
People often joke that when he lays hands to bless, he has to stretch a bit. But what he lacks in inches, he compensates with intellect, grace, and voltage. The man is proof that greatness is not measured from head to toe, but from heart to destiny. The Priest Who Can Preach and Repair the Microphone. This is the kind of priest who can preach a powerful homily about light being victorious over darkness, and then personally fix the faulty generator that caused the blackout.
If the church sound system fails, panic not. If the parish transformer misbehaves, relax. If the choir microphone shocks someone slightlyโฆokay, that one still needs prayer. He understands both divine mysteries and electrical mysteries. He knows how to connect people to God and how to connect neutral to earth properly. Truly, a shepherd who knows his sheep and his circuits.
There is something deeply symbolic about this achievement. A priest who studies Electrical Engineering is not accidental, it is prophetic. Electricity is about power, connection, flow, and illumination. Pastoral work is about power, connection, flow, and illumination. Different tools. Same mission.
Where others see wires, Fr Ubah sees service. Where others see voltage, he sees responsibility. Where others see a short man in a long cassock, God sees a bridge between faith and function.
This achievement deserves celebration not just because it is rare, but because it is meaningful. It reminds us that vocation does not limit intelligence, and holiness does not cancel innovation. So here is to my friend who grew up with me. The priest who studied hard. The priest who is short enough to be underestimated and brilliant enough to silence every doubt.
May his homilies stay powerful, his circuits stay stable, and his height continue to confuse people who assume greatness must be tall. After all, some men do not need to be tall, they just need to be well-grounded.
Ekpe (as we fondly call ourselves), please take your flowers๐ธ๐บ๐ป๐น๐ท๐ผ๐.
Congratulations, once again.
