Students from the University of Ibadan (UI) on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest against the ongoing 82-day power outage at the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, a crucial teaching hospital for medical students at UI.
The protest, led by the President of the Students’ Union (SU), Bolaji Aweda, was a response to the continued disruption of power supply at the hospital, which has now lasted for over two months. According to reports, UCH has been grappling with a power outage since March 2024, due to unpaid electricity bills owed to the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
The electricity supply was initially cut off in November 2023 when UCH failed to settle its debt with IBEDC, and despite repeated disconnections, the power has yet to be restored. The students are concerned that the power outage is directly impacting their education, especially those studying in the medical field, as UCH serves as a critical training ground for UI’s medical students.
Aweda, speaking to newsmen, emphasized that the students are deeply affected by the situation, saying, “For 82 days, there has been no light at UCH, and this is due to the inability of UCH to pay its electricity bill to IBEDC. IBEDC has demanded that UCH settle its debt before they will restore power.”
The students are calling on both UCH and the relevant authorities to take immediate action to resolve the issue, ensuring that the hospital can continue providing a conducive learning environment for UI students.
The protest highlights growing concerns over the financial management at UCH and the potential long-term effects of the power outage on the quality of medical education and healthcare delivery at the facility.
