UI Students Protest Prolonged Power Outage At UCH

Displeased by the continued power outage at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, hundreds of students from the University of Ibadan in Oyo State, on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest in solidarity with their medical colleagues whose studies are being adversely affected.

It has been running for a year now that UCH has been experiencing a power outage owing to humongous debts the tertiary institutions owe the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, (IBEDC).

The distribution company thereafter cut off the power supply to the hospital in March 2024. Restoration of the power has been epileptic as it was again disconnected in November 2023 for the same reason.

Students from the premier University capitalized on the appalling situation to express their dissatisfaction with the situation. They were led by the President of the Students’ Union, Bolaji Aweda.

Addressing journalists, Awada stated that students of the institution have been directly affected. “We are protesting against what is happening. And, of course, our students are affected. For 82 days, there has been no light at the UCH, and this is due to the inability of the UCH to pay its electricity bills to the IBEDC.

“IBEDC has demanded that UCH settle its debt before they will restore power,” he said.

Many patients have been badly affected by the situation, while the Management through its PRO, Obafunmilayo Adetuyibi, had substantiated why the backlog of the bills could not be settled wholly. Part of the bills had been offset after the March 2024 disconnection, but it was disconnected again in November when the demands of the IBEDC could still not be met.

New Telegraph