Students from the University of Ibadan in Oyo State, Nigeria, took to the streets on Wednesday to express their frustration through a peaceful protest over an 82-day power outage at the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan.
The hospital, which serves as the teaching hospital for UI medical students, has been without electricity since November 2023 due to unpaid debts owed to the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
An official of IBEDC told this portal that the current unpaid debt by UCH is over ₦350 million.
According to the official, the company’s stance for UCH to settle their debt to pave way for reconnection as far back as 13 November 2024 remains unchanged.
“We are open to discussions on a flexible payment arrangement that could be mutually agreed upon by both parties,” said the official.
The official said explained that the company is expected to meet 100% of its market obligations, and the outstanding debt from major customers like UCH directly contributes to the liquidity crisis within Nigeria’s power sector.
Led by Students’ Union President Bolaji Aweda, the protesters expressed frustration over the prolonged blackout.
“For the past 82 days, UCH has been without electricity due to unpaid bills,” Aweda told reporters.
According to him, the situation has affected the living conditions of students and their academics, making them unable to function well.
“Our demand is the immediate restoration of power to UCH and other hospitals currently facing a similar situation.
“We desire the implementation of the 50 per cent electricity tariff discount announced by the Ministry of Power in Aug. 2024 and the reform of the health sector in Nigeria.
“If UCH, the foremost healthcare hospital in Nigeria, is this bad, one can imagine what other health institutions in the country will look like,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the immediate past SU president, Tobiloba Samuel, also said they had explored consultative means with the managements of UCH and UI, which yielded nothing.
He said the union would issue an ultimatum after the peaceful protest if the relevant stakeholders still failed to act.
Samuel noted that the problem had been the new policy in the power sector, which made electricity unaffordable to both educational and health institutions.
He said they were told the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) had demanded the payment of half of the N3.78 million owed before reconnecting the hospital.
“I don’t know how they expect them to pay. We are calling on the Ministry of Education, which plays a regulatory role in the sector, to act.
“We are calling on the Federal Government and other stakeholders, not only to save UCH, but other educational and health institutions in similar situations,” Samuel said.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
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