The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, (IBEDC) have agreed to restore electricity supply to some sections of the University College Hospital, Ibadan within 48 hours after 102 days of power outage.
This was part of the resolutions of the tripartite meeting of the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu; the management team of the University College Hospital led by Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, and the management team of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) led its Managing Director, Francis Agoha, held at the Conference room of the UCH on Monday.
The meeting which started on a good note was nearly marred by the peaceful protest of the students of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan as they are demanding immediate restoration of power supply to all the sections of the foremost hospital.
The protesting students described the situation as unbearable as they disclosed that the entire hospital community had been in total darkness for the past 102 days.
According to them, medical, learning and commercial activities have been paralyzed within the period.
They added that some patients have been withdrawn from the hospital to private facilities as a result of what they described as a lack of inappropriate medical attention.
But the Minister of Power, while briefing the newsmen on the outcome of the tripartite meeting held inside the office of the CMD, said all the issues relating to the lingering power crisis have been resolved.
Adelabu, who described the lingering crisis as not only an embarrassment to the management of the hospital but the Federal government, submitted that the humongous debt being owed by the hospital is traceable to some factors which include sharp practices, unseparated accounts, dilapidated infrastructure and equipment amongst other.
The Minister, while decrying the previous practice of lump electricity bills, said all the sectors including the Clinical Services, College of Medicine and the Commercial outlets must operate different accounts.
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He said, “Power crisis in the UCH has gone to 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, (LUTH), University of Calabar, Maiduguri and Abuja that had similar issue were able to surmount through the Federal government intervention of Solar mini-grid.
“Similar thing will be done at the University of Ibadan and the College of Medicine.
“The Federal government will install 50mgw solar mini-grid which will be completed with the first and second quarter 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.”
It was also agreed that all the sections of UCH must be properly metered in order 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 EFCC.
“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 bypassing connections. That is fraud,” Adelabu added.
Speaking in the same vein, the Managing Director of the IBEDC, Agoha, confirmed the gradual restoration of electricity to sections of the hospital.
He said his team would be meeting with the UCH team to work on the modalities.
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