The federal government has ordered the immediate restoration of electricity to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, within 48 hours, following widespread protests by medical students over a power outage that has lasted for more than 100 days.
Students of the University of Ibadan’s College of Medicine took to the streets on Monday, storming hospital to express their frustration over the prolonged blackout, which they said had severely disrupted their academic and clinical activities.
During the demonstration, the students carried placards with messages such as: “We are tired of 100 days of darkness”; “Save UCH.” The Student Union President, Bolaji Aweda, emphasized that their primary demand was the immediate restoration of power to the hospital.
They also called for the implementation of the 50 percent electricity tariff waiver promised by the government for tertiary healthcare institutions, and urged urgent reforms in the health sector to prevent similar crisis in the future.
Read Also: Federal lawmaker’s bill for University Teaching Hospital in Isoko passes third reading
Responding to the protest, the Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, visited the hospital, alongside the management of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
He described the situation as a “national embarrassment” and attributed the outage to a vendor-customer crisis between the hospital and the electricity distribution company.
Following a meeting with IBEDC’s Managing Director, Francis Agoh, the minister assured that power would be restored to the clinical section of the hospital within 48 hours. He also promised a permanent solution to prevent future disconnections.
The electricity crisis at UCH stems from the hospital’s disconnection from the national grid due to an outstanding debt of approximately N500 million.
While the immediate focus is on restoring power, discussions are ongoing to resolve the debt issue and prevent further disruptions.
