The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has agreed to restore electricity to some sections of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan within 48 hours, following a 108-day blackout that has disrupted medical and academic activities at the institution.
The resolution was reached during a tripartite meeting held at the hospital’s Conference Room on Monday, involving the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, the UCH management team led by Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, and IBEDC’s leadership, represented by Managing Director, Francis Agoha.
Meanwhile, aggrieved medical students of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (UI) staged a peaceful protest outside the meeting venue, demanding full restoration of power across all sections of the hospital.
The students described the prolonged outage as unbearable, citing its impact on medical services, academic learning and commercial activities within the hospital premises.
The protesting students expressed frustration over the deteriorating conditions at the facility, stating that some patients had been withdrawn and transferred to private medical facilities due to inadequate power supply affecting critical healthcare services.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, assured that the lingering power crisis had been resolved, acknowledging that the situation was not only embarrassing for the hospital but also for the Federal Government.
He attributed the accumulated debt burden owed by UCH to several factors, including sharp practices, unseparated electricity accounts, and outdated infrastructure. Adelabu emphasized the need for segregated billing, stating that clinical services, the College of Medicine, and commercial outlets must operate separate electricity accounts to prevent future financial disputes.
Confirming IBEDC’s commitment to restoring power, Managing Director Francis Agoha stated that the gradual restoration process would begin immediately. He added that IBEDC would work closely with the UCH management to finalize modalities for full restoration.
In a related development, IBEDC workers have vowed to continue their protest over poor working conditions and welfare concerns. The aggrieved employees urged the Federal Government to intervene, warning that they would sustain industrial action until their demands were met.
As IBEDC initiates partial power restoration, stakeholders remain watchful with the hospital community, staff and students demanding lasting solutions to the persistent power crisis affecting Nigeria’s premier teaching hospital.
