IBEDC restores power supply to UCH after 100 days of darkness
Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, on Monday, agreed to restore electricity supply to some sections of the University College Hospital, Ibadan in Oyo State, within 48 hours after 100 days of power outage.
This was one of the resolutions of the meeting between the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, the management of the UCH led by its Chief Medical Director, Jesse Otegbayo, and the management of IBEDC led by its Managing Director, Francis Agoha, held at the Conference Room of UCH in Ibadan, the state capital.
The PUNCH reports that UCH had been in darkness since October 2024 over non-payment of over N283 million in electricity bills.
While the meeting was ongoing, the Medical students of UCH staged a protest at the office of the CMD of the institution over the non-availability of power and water.
They displayed placards with different inscriptions such as, “+100 Days of Darkness: Save UCH; Save ABH Hall; Save Falade Hall; Give Us Light; This Is Not How We Want To Live; Medical School Is Hard Enough- Give Us Light; All We Are Saying, Give Us Light among others.”
The protesting students described the situation as unbearable as they disclosed that the entire hospital community had been in darkness for the past 100 days.
Adelabu, while briefing the newsmen on the outcome of the meeting, said all the issues relating to the lingering power crisis have been resolved.
He described the crisis as not only an embarrassment to the management of the institution but the Federal Government, adding that the humongous debt being owed by the hospital is traceable to some factors which include sharp practices, unseparated accounts, dilapidated infrastructure and equipment among others.
The minister decried the previous practice of lump electricity bills, stressing that all the sectors including the Clinical Services, College of Medicine and the Commercial outlets must operate different accounts.
He stated, “Power crisis in the UCH has gone to an embarrassing level noting the services rendered and its status as the foremost hospital not only in the country but Sub Sahara Africa. It is quite embarrassing to have the hospital in total darkness for so long. I have intervened in the matter several times but the problem still lingers.
“Other Teaching Hospitals including the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, University of Calabar, Maiduguri and Abuja that had similar issues were able to surmount through the Federal Government intervention of Solar mini-grid.
“A similar thing will be done at the University of Ibadan and the College of Medicine. The Federal Government will install a 50 MGW solar mini-grid which will be completed with the first and second quarters of the year. Also, while this is going on, the IBEDC has agreed to restore electricity to some sections of the Hospital within 48 hours while N283m will be settled on an instalment basis.
“The management of the UCH has agreed on immediate settlement of the debt on instalment payment which is going to be between 8-12 months in addition to the current bill. Henceforth, each of the major consumers will be responsible for the payment of their electricity bills as against the previous practice of lump bills while separate transformers will be provided.”
Adelabu explained further that it was also agreed that all the sections of the UCH must be properly metered to guide against sharp practices.
“The issue of fraud and power theft will not be condoned. It is an economic crime. Whoever is caught should be reported to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission.
“We have seen the results likewise the consequence of the ignoble act. I have advised the CMD to report such incidents to the EFCC. Some banks have been caught red-handed by passing connections. That is a fraud,” he added.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of the IBEDC confirmed the gradual restoration of electricity to sections of the hospital, adding that “The IBEDC team would be meeting with the UCH team to work on the modalities.”
