UCH gets electricity supply after 100 days in darkness

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has reconnected the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan after more than 100 days without power.

The Chairman of UCH Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), Oladayo Olabampe, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan.

NAN reports that IBEDC had disconnected UCH on 26 October over accumulated debts, leading to series of events which included students of the college embarking on peaceful protests.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and the IBEDC management had a meeting at the UCH on Monday on the power restoration.

After the meeting, it was resolved that IBEDC should reconnect the hospital within 24 hours and not later than 48 hours counting from that Monday.

Mr Olabampe said power was restored to the hospital at about 6 p.m on Wednesday.

He, however, stated that only the service area was reconnected, with the residential area still in total darkness at the time of reporting.

“Even though the residential areas use prepaid meters, yet they were disconnected. While we agree that the service areas are important, the people rendering the service are equally important,” he said.

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“The residential areas and commercial areas including banks and schools are disconnected. We have been in darkness for months now, so we feel bad about this.”

The UCH spokesperson, Funmi Adetuyibi also confirmed that light has been restored at the clinical area of the hospital.

NAN reports that part of the conditions given by Mr Adelabu at the meeting on power restoration was that residential areas, commercial areas and College of Medicine could be disconnected.

Mr Adelabu said these areas contributed mostly to the high cost of energy used at the hospital.

(NAN)